Bound
by Roxa814
Summary: Shadow had been tracking Eclipse the Darkling (NOT a fanmade character) for days after destroying the second Black Comet. Now after cracking an emerald and stranding them on a strange planet, the two will have to put aside their aggression and work together if they want to escape one very determined bounty hunter and return home. (Further info about Eclipse is included in notes)
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Yo , this is kunoichi814 also known as Roxa and this is my first story.**

**I'm happy to have finally started writing my own stories since I've had plenty of ideas after reading so many great I'll just cut to the chase and say this story includes a still very new character that was introduced in the Archie comics. He's so new in fact that I don't even think he's listed on FanFics list of Sonic The Hedgehog characters. I don't mean to gloat...Ahem...but I dare say I'm one of the first people to start a fic including him if not the first. **

**So please enjoy the first chapter of "Bound" and I hope I keep you coming back for more! And at some point in your spare time I encourage you to read Sonic Universe: Shadow Fall issues #59-62 in order to see this character's backstory and how he relates to Shadow. **

**And a special thanks to XxShadowFallxX for proofreading this chapter. **

**Also take it easy with the reviews and criticism. As I said before this is my first story.**

Adabat Deep Jungle...

I won't let you escape Eclipse.

My hover skates blaze below me leaving a charred jungle path in my wake. The wind passes through my charcoal and crimson streaked fur leaving me with a powerful feeling all over my body. If I wasn't so focused at the task at hand, I'd revel in it but not now.

I thought I had ridden myself of the Black Arms entirely after singlehandedly defeating Black Doom a few months ago.

I was wrong.

A few days ago another Black Comet had appeared and with it were the last remnants of the alien race. I easily defeated Black Death, a lower commander of my 'father' and the rest of Team Dark, Rouge and Omega would have disposed of Eclipse if they weren't rushing to escape the explosion of the bomb they rigged to go off.

No matter. It will be more satisfying to end him with my own hands anyway. I waited until I had a clear shot of him in the trees.

"I'll dispose of you right now!" I hissed spindashing at my opponent and self-declared brother, the dozens of tree limbs not even faltering my attack as my sharp quills sawed through them.

"Arrg!" I couldn't help but smirk as I saw the amber eyed creature drop like rag doll to the ground. My eyes never left him as I landed and saw him leap to his feet no longer hidden by the dense canopy of the jungle.

He was my height with three quills pointing from his head. Two of them pointed down and one pointed out. Similar to myself he had red stripes going down his spines and red highlights on his eyes, wrists, neck, and ankles. He would resemble myself more if he did not lack my humanoid hands and stubby hedgehog tail. In place, was a tail of a more reptilian nature, and a set of three presence, like the majority of the Black Arms, emanates an energy of primordial origin in contrast to my carefully controlled one.

"I don't understand Shadow. You could have ruled this world alongside us. We could have been brothers! I could have taught you everything about your family you never knew!"

He's desperate and he knows he's been cornered. It's pathetic.

"The only family I had died a long time ago. You are nothing to me except the survivor of barbaric and bloodthirsty race ruining my reputation." I said coldly and it's the truth. Even after I helped put an end to Black Doom, many humans and mobians look at me with hatred and fear. Although I could care less about what people think of me, it makes my missions at G.U.N. all the more harder if the agents under me don't follow orders because of trust issues.

Eclipse glares at me with eyes that hold hatred and...

Disappointment? Sadness? Slight disbelief?

He gets into a steady battle stance."Then I guess the only thing I can do is put an end to your blasphemous existence as a hybrid and avenge my fallen brethren!"

He lunges at me trying to shred me with his claws but I'm too fast. As I weave around jabs and swipes his frustration is obvious I let it carry on and smirk. He uses his left hand and throws a jab that I dodge under creating an opening that I use to deliver a kick right across his stomach. The force sent him flying on his back.

"CHAOS SPEAR" I shout sending the gold energy spears toward my opponent not giving him a chance to get up. Eclipse sees the attack and rolls away just in time to narrowly escape. However I don't stop there. Just as Eclipse leaps into the trees again I continue my barrage of attacks adjusting the power put into each to conserve energy and lure him out.

Unfortunately none if my attacks even seemed to graze him.

Damn him, using the trees as cover and hiding like a coward. I have half a mind to Chaos Blast him for wasting my time.

Just as I finished my thought I heard a scraping noise behind me like claws digging into wood before I felt a searing pain on my back and something whiz past out of the corner of my eye. I turned around to spot him but either he moved out of my line of sight or the canopy is keeping him well hidden. It was too silent now. My ears perked up as I heard slight rustle behind me again and turned around only to be met with what felt like a tail lashing against my chest. I growled out of anger and clenched my fist.

"Hahahaha. How can you hit what you can't see?"

He's taunting me now that he realizes that the rainforest gives him an advantage over me, but I'm no amateur fighter off the streets. I close my eyes and focus only on the sounds around me. Even the pain from his earlier attacks is being drowned out.

...rustle...rustle...whoosh...

I turned to my right just in time to catch Eclipse's foot before he could collide with me and throw him into a tree with a 'thud'. He groaned as I slowly walked towards him as if I have all the time in the world.

"Have you finally decided to give up or would you rather risk your little trump card and ensure your defeat later?" I stood over him waiting for an answer.

"You mock me but my 'trump card' is what will end you." He stands and a chartreuse light engulfs him as he grows to at least twice his size. His entire body was beefed up. The red spikes on his wrists grew longer as well as his spines. On his head was a vermillion colored crest that rested just above his eyes. To top it off several veins seem to have broken out on his body adding to his buffed up look.

I've seen this transformation before and while it has its setbacks its nothing to sniff at. He nearly beat me before with it but luckily I managed to survive thanks to other circumstances at that time. I just have to outlast this transformation and he'll be finished. Eclipse charges at me again but this time he's lost the agility he had in his previous form. He throws an incredible punch that I barely side step, the impact enough to fell the tree that was just behind me. The next thing I know he picks up the fallen tree and swings it at me. I leap on top of tree and grasp the branches as he tries to shake me off. With one of the hands that isn't grasping the tree I throw a chaos spear that struck him in the chest. It didn't do any serious damage but judging from his wince it was enough to stun. I take that split second to run down the trunk of the tree and drop kick him with my momentum.

BAM! The tree Eclipse had been holding dropped to the ground hard. The reptilian alien paused to rub his face where I kicked him and growled hatefully at me.

His transformation must be close to ending by now. I just need to wait a little longer.

This time I attack first using the speed from my skates to prepare my spindash. Just before I collide with him I felt myself being caught by two big hands but that wasn't enough to completely stop me. I could feel myself pushing him but his hands hadn't moved. Right after I stopped moving and uncurled I suddenly felt weightless..?

What..?

Eclipse was still holding on but he wasn't looking at me. It was then that I realized we had fallen off a cliff and it was a long way down.

Damn.

The last thing I remember before hitting the ground and losing consciousness was a 'CRACK', a fizzling of energy, and a flash of light.

**So guys how was it? I hope you like the fight scene and dialogue. Eclipse hasn't been in the comics for long so I don't really have a solid feel for his personality other than what I've read in the comics. The jungle they fought in was in Adabat from Sonic Unleashed Jungle Joyride. I've read fics that referenced Spagonia, Apotos, and Holoska but never Adabat so I thought I'd throw that in there. I hope my fic will inspire other people to write fics about Eclipse. I'd love to see more creativity regarding him and his powers.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Yo! Roxa's back with another chappie guys. I feel so guilty for not uploading my stuff sooner. It makes me happy to see people following my stuff. I have so many ideas for other fics I wanna do. I've already got an idea for another fic. I'm hoping that my next one will be a real treat to you fans out there. But for right now I'm gonna focus on this one. I've been having XxShadowFallxX help me edit my chapters but I would also like some other input if you please. **

**Thanks to XxShadowFallxX for beta reading!**

Chapter 2

Shadow was dreaming again...

After he and Sonic saved Mobius from the Ark that threatened to destroy their home, the black hedgehog would often relive significant events in his life. If someone could peer into his dreams they would find a slew of scattered memories rendered incomprehensible because of the speed at which they flashed through his mind

He saw all kinds of images, some less desired than first was of a blonde haired, blued eyed girl named Maria, whom used to be his most treasured friend. He saw her bright, kind smile and her endless blue eyes that held an ocean of affection just for him. And he also saw those same eyes shed tears as the rest of her body lay in a pool of blood.  
The horrible image incited strong emotions of grief that laid itself like a thick blanket over his mind before fading away.

This time his dreams shifted to his rival Sonic. He began to recall their first fight in the jungle trading blows and giving in to adrenaline that fueled their thirst for a challenge. Though he may not have showed it on his face, he was quite excited to find a formidable opponent who could match his speed and strength. Sonic's personality and overbearing ego may have driven him up the wall and on the ceiling but Shadow found him to be a tolerable companion racing him occasionally for sport.

Again his thoughts shifted for a final time but this one was different.

Instead of just bits and pieces of his memories he felt himself materialize inside his own mind. It was as if he was there but he wasn't at the same time. The 'dream' Shadow was standing in an endless white void charcoal eyelids lifting to stare at the figure materializing in front of him.

It was Eclipse standing stone still with his arm outstretched as if to shake hands. His eyes didn't just look at Shadow, they seemed to look through him searching his crimson streaked look-alike for something deeper. It slightly unnerved Shadow because those amber colored eyes held no anger or thirst for revenge but instead it was more friendly, pleading even...

But the strangest thing that confused him was the sharp edge of a shadow that crossed his face diagonally so that part of his body was shrouded in darkness. This darkness even seemed to cut into the white void like a knife stretching endlessly yet looking like it was definite at the same time.

Shadow couldn't comprehend what he was seeing but he felt like Eclipse's outstretched hand was a gesture that held more meaning than it was willing to show. He also felt like the strange shadow was important too but how exactly he couldn't quite fathom. Against his instincts (which could or could not be accurate in this dream state) he slowly walked forward watching for any changes in the young Black Arm. When he saw none he started reaching for the others three fingered hand. With his hand centimeters from the others he stole a glance again at the aliens face as if to reaffirm his actions.

The reptilian creature in front of him uttered one word .

Brother...

-  
My eyes shot open as I took a sharp intake of breath. I've never had a dream like that before. All I could do was lay there and try to process what I'd seen until I noticed something off about my surroundings.

Instead of lying atop grass and shrubbery, I was lying on smooth, cold, stone. Slowly I rose to my feet to take in my surroundings further.

Holy shit...Where am I?

I was standing in a huge open area where several broken rock like pillars were jutting up from the ground. Vines and other small greenery grew around the pillars giving it an ancient appearance. There was a thick blanket of clouds covering the sky which hinders my sight beyond the area filled with pillars.

Did I chaos control to a different part of Mobius? I closed my eyes to concentrate on the energy around me. No. This isn't Mobius at all. The flow of chaos is different here, its thinner and not as strong.

I sighed and reached for the chaos emerald in my quills only to realize it's not there anymore. I turned around sharply scanning the area carefully until I saw a small spark just a few feet behind me. The emerald was lying beside a broken pillar that fell. Upon picking up the viridescent gem, I immediately felt something was wrong. The chaos inside the emerald felt more erratic than usual as if it was disturbed in some manner and could no longer be contained. And I soon realized why...

Spanning the length of the emerald was a crack just a little smaller than my index finger. Damn. How do you even crack an emerald? Aren't these things supposed to be indestructible because of the infinite amount of energy contained within them? I wonder if...After a moment I focused on trying to channel the chaos in the emerald. At first nothing happened but then-

The energy of the emerald had rushed out and exploded , flinging me into one of the stone pillars. I groaned and stood shakily to my feet. Not gonna try that again. I'll make a mental note to ask that Echidna how this is even possible but for now I should find Eclipse and end him then find a way back to Mobius.

I only take five steps before I make out a gray skinned reptilian body laying face down on stone. It seems like I wasn't the only one who was teleported here.

My left ear flexed backward after picking up the familiar sound of wings. Except whatever this is sounds way bigger than a set of bat wings belonging to a certain mobian I know.

A high pitched screech that could have shattered glass pierced my ears as years of training and quick reflexes immediately told me to drop to the ground. I felt a rush of wind blow through my quills and in one quick movement I was back on my feet trying to see what came close to taking off my head.

It looked alot like a pterodactyl except with bigger claws and a head and neck like a basilisk. It had a huge sharp horn like a rhino and black shiny scales. It was already flying away but not before grabbing the grey and vermilion form that I had recently dedicated my life to killing.

I'm not sure why but my body just started moving on its own, skating to keep up with the reptile like bird. I'd blame my actions on simply a hunch or a reflex but somehow I knew that was a lie. As I accelerated the image of Eclipse reaching out to me briefly flashed in my mind urging me to go faster.

The terrain was slowly becoming rockier but it didn't hinder my speed much. Weaving, jumping, and vaulting was second nature to me and my thoughts finally caught up to my actions.

_Wait, why am I rushing to save him all of a sudden? I just tried to kill him earlier and there were no doubts or second thoughts about killing him then. So why do I feel like his death will only bring guilt and sadness._

I focused on the nearly impossible to see figure being held in the talons of the winged creature.

_Why do I even care?..._

_**Because he's family.**_

"What!?" I nearly tripped racing along the path filled with jagged rocks. I had enough peace of mind to keep moving rather than stop but couldn't help but look around for anything that could've spoken.

_Maybe I got a concussion when we fell off that cliff._

I couldn't dwell on the strange voice for long because another screech echoed in the distance. The creature was most likely nearing its nest so I poured on the speed.

Near the top of the mountain was a flat protrusion where several huge rocks were arranged in a circle. As I reached the top I noticed it was uncharacteristically quiet. It felt suspicious but I knew the faster I reach Eclipse the faster we can make our escape without being seen. Approaching the circle I saw that there were thick, dead, branches lining the bottom and sides. It was very similar to a typical bird nest except for the four obsidian colored eggs that were three times my size and the little alien bastard who was lucky I even came after him.

_He'd better be grateful for this because as soon as we're safe I'm going to finish what I started._

I climbed over the circle of huge rocks and sprinted to his side flipping him over to examine him. A few bruises but nothing serious.

"Wake up you prick!" I hissed as quietly as I could while halfheartedly hitting his muzzle. "I'm not gonna carry you down the mountain damn it! "

He groaned as he started to come to and I saw his amber eyes flicker open.

"Ah...YOU!" He yelled and narrowed his eyes sitting up abruptly.

"Be quiet you idiot! I came here to save you!" I hissed with more venom than had to and put my hand on his muzzle. I nervously looked around checking for changes around the nest but Eclipse had other plans.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME YOU _TASUYAI!" _He yelled tearing my hand away from his face and shoving me back hard. I was so on edge that I fell back clumsily breaking several branches under me with loud cracking noises.

As I stood back up I could feel more than see his amber eyes trying to burn holes in my obsidian pelt with a look of disgust towards me. I glared back just as hatefully.

"I don't need your help _Tasuyai_, I can take care of myself."

I was taken aback by his words. He was the one who was helplessly carried off by a creature who could have easily made mincemeat out of him with its talons. I was suddenly overwhelmed with frustration that came out of nowhere with no apparent cause but it was so strong that I couldn't question it at the moment.

"Fine...if you want me to leave you to become a pile of bird crap somewhere on this planet be my guest. The thought of the humiliation you'll feel when your dead will be all the comfort I need when I sleep-"

Before I could continue there was a huge cracking like noise. We both turned towards the origin of the sound, Eclipse just now seeming to understand the precarious situation we were in.

The eggs moved, all four of them cracking as we stood there dumbfounded. It was strangely mesmerizing like watching some twisted cross between a nature documentary and a horror movie except _much_ more realistic and unsettling. When the shell of the first egg finally gave, a creature similar to the one that carried off Eclipse emerged covered in a thin film of mucus making its small slick body reflect light that bounced off of it. The others emerged imitating the first before locking eyes with Eclipse and I.

It only took seconds before they approached revealing small piranha like teeth in each of their maws. This is probably the time in those horror movies when the characters make a run for it too.

..."RUN!" I didn't need to tell my alien counterpart as he went straight for edge of the nest and climbed the branches with impressive agility. I looked back for a fraction of a second and almost became a hedgehog sized snack for one them. Lucky for us the creatures were clumsy or they would have continued to pursue us after we jumped over the rocks.

When the beating of wings reached my ears again I instinctively pulled Eclipse by the arm and jumped to a lower part of the mountain, a small crevice just big enough to hide in. The gray scaled alien was about to protest but I quickly placed my hand over his mouth again. He struggled but the enclosed space left very little room for both of us.

A few minutes after the sound of wings stopped I was able to breathe a sigh of is until the bastard I'm muffling bites my hand hard.

"Ahhh! Son of a whore! I jerked my hand away and rubbed where his teeth had drew blood.

"Maybe that will teach you to put your hands on me _tasuyai." _He grinned seeing the blood staining my glove. I was feeling an intense urge to punch him building, but resisted knowing the hit could send him hurdling off the mountain.

_A pleasant thought to have since he doesn't seem to appreciate my help._

"I'm leaving." He said flatly. "Your disgusting scent is sickening tasuyai and I cannot stand you much more. He said but I wasn't having any if it. I grabbed him and slammed him against the wall in the small space. We were inches away from each other, staring deeply into the eyes of the other. The light coming in through the crevice casting shadows across both our complexions.

"Where the hell do you think your going?"

"Anywhere away from _you!" _He spat the last word with disgust.

_"_Unfortunately you don't have that option." I took out the damaged emerald and shoved it in his face.

"The emerald is cracked because of you and without it I can't return to Mobius."

"Well then sucks to be you because I could care less about returning to that backwater planet where you play lap dog to those worthless humans." I slammed him against the wall harder.

"I don't care if you want to spend the rest of your days here on this planet or not, you're going to help me fix the emerald and then we're going to finish our fight once and for all."

" And if I refuse?"

"Then those creatures up top will know what Black Arm meat will taste like before they can even fly." Eclipse shuddered somehow knowing that I'd be willing to do it.

"Fine but don't expect anything more from me."

_Wouldn't dream of it_.

As they both made their way down the mountain, a two headed dog like creature with a hexagonal collar around each of its necks observed with trained curiosity. The little red light blinking on the collars indicating that the video feed of the two had been successfully sent to his master.

**So how am I doing so far guys? I hope the way I depict the characters doesn't seem too forced, after all I aim to please. Also I've written the plot for this story at least 6 or 7 chapters ahead but I can't help but feel that maybe it's missing some appeal or something else that will help make the story more entertaining. If you have some ideas don't hesitate to lay 'em on me. I'm sure there's something from your ideas I can use to make this story a favorite of many readers on .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yo, hope you guys are enjoying ourselves because the funs just beginning. Believe or not part of this chapter was partially influenced by watching documentaries of lions on Nat Geo Wild. Don't know why it just did. As a personal heads up I tend to be partial to the the more animal side each Mobian, loving to incorporate wild and primal aspects to certain stories or ideas just a bit. I've seen a little bit of this but not enough to be convinced that someone has taken the time to expand on it. Yup! Just another one of those stories to put on my "to write" list.**

**Thanks to XxShadowFallxX for beta reading!**

Chapter 3

Far out in a canyon surrounded by rock formations that make even Mt. Everest look smaller by comparison lay a fortified shelter enclosed by a high voltage fence. Though it seemed small it was not any less secure. In fact the patched together appearance of metal scraps only seemed to highlight the careful handiwork of the owner. It had two floors with the bottom floor having two windows with metal plates in front of the glass that swung outward via hinges on the front of the residence and on the back. A thick metal door was the only way to get in through the front shelter. The second floor resembled a lookout tower with a special window on top that could be adjusted to reveal either all of the person standing behind the window or leave only part of the person showing with just enough space to fit a weapon. It was the perfect place for a sniper to shoot oncoming intruders without having to worry about being shot. The second floor also had a device similar to a telescope at the top that could see about a hundred feet away. Along with the telescope were a few advanced looking solar panels and a satellite dish.

Running towards the near fort like home was a four legged creature with two wolf like heads and jet black fur. It ran just a little slower than the top speed of a cheetah and its big claws dug deeply into the ground with every movement. It's powerful legs maximized its running potential allowing it maintain its speed for long periods of time. All of these characteristics gave a dangerous grace to the creature that could be arguably more majestic than any big cat if not equal to one. This is one of the most dangerous predators that the planet could be home to, a _double snare_.

As the creature neared the electrified fence it used it's well toned hind muscles to leap gracefully over the fence with ease. It curved around to the left side of the miniature fortress where it expertly opened a hatch in the ground leaping in and running the length of a corridor before walking into a fairly large room filled with computers. A single being sat in a chair facing all seven computer monitors. A few of the monitors gave a video feed of various rooms and some gave feed from outside the fort but one of them was uploading a new file.

As it loaded, a fingerless glove covered hand absently reached out to pet one the heads of the creature. The other wolf head jealously glared at it's other for the attention it received. When the monitor finished uploading the feed, it showed two figures making their way down a mountain at a good pace. The being who sat in the chair couldn't help but give a smile like cat already eyeing his prize.

"Quite a quarry we've got on our hands eh girl?" The beast made a small noise as if to agree while its master began to absently stroke the other head.

"A' didn't believe anyone of them Black Arms made it after their leader went ka'put and now look at us. We 'appen to be fortunate enough for two unsuspecting jokers to prance on along in one of me favorite huntin' grounds." The brightness of the computers was not sufficient enough to reveal his facial features however, his partner with splendid night vision was easily able to see the figure occupying the chair swivel his head around. He gave the two headed wolf like creature a smug grin.

"' Told ya sumthin' good would 'appen if we stayed 'round here long 'nuf!" He spoke to the double snare in a pointed tone.

The quadrupedal creature whined slightly as if disappointed that it was wrong but was nonetheless excited to have something more entertaining to finally do.

"Get ready girl 'cuz we're about to cash in more money than everything we've earned these past 10 years put together." And after a brief thought... "And bring me Lucy while you're at it. I'm feeling lucky."He gave one last toothy grin before heading to his equipment room.

"Remind me again why we're parading through another jungle mind you ,as if the one on your pathetic planet wasn't hellishly unbearable enough, rather than wait for nightfall when it's much cooler." Eclipse ranted, the heat of the day beginning to irritate him to new proportions

"Quit bitchin' and keep moving." I growled. "I already told you before that if we're going to survive on this planet it would be wise to find a decent shelter and a clean water source. Besides theres no telling what the nocturnal creatures that inhabit this area would do if they found us. I absolutely refuse to be jumped by some wild animal in my sleep with you around." He kept pace with his reptilian counterpart.

"You don't trust me?" He grinned in near sadistic manner.

"I _trust _you about as much as I can force you disown your race." I said flatly.

I couldn't see his face but somehow I knew he found that amusing, the little devil.

"**I agree. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to us if you simply killed him while he slept, then we wouldn't' have to trust him at all.**", said a voice sounding suspiciously like my own.

_That voice. It's the same one I swore I imagined when I chased that creature that took off with Eclipse!_

"**Of course it is. I am you after all.**" the voice said again. While I kept my pace making sure that Eclipse was still in front of me, I glanced to my left and saw…I don't even know what I'm looking at.

It was me? It was a smaller version of myself and it seemed to be floating right next to my head. What was more peculiar was that it had little black wings where it's back quills would be and a little devil tail. It was like I was seeing something right out of TV and my eyes widened with shock. "The heat must be slowly making me lose my mind." I mumbled to myself.

"**You must be to be keeping scum like this alive. **" It taunted glaring at the back of the vermillion alien who was oblivious to the scene taking place behind him.

"**That is no way to speak of our half-brother.**"Another voice said but this time it belonged to a different being. This version of myself was a lot like the other one except it had small white feathered wings instead of black ones. It faced away from me and his small devil like copy with it's arms folded.

I just stared dumbfounded and actually came to a stop, looking between the two. The devil copy seemed to seethe with hatred at the other who paid it no attention whatsoever. It didn't take long for Eclipse to realize that my movement had stopped and he looked back feeling annoyed.

"Let's go Tasuyai! Didn't you just get through whining about finding shelter? He yelled. "Or was that just an excuse to cover up the fact that you're helpless without the emerald?" He sneered.

I gave him a stern look not appreciating his insult but more importantly I was searching for any signs of surprise or confusion. When he showed none he impatiently walked up to me until he was inches from my face. "Well?!" he said in my face expecting a prompt answer.

"**Look at him! He thinks he's so much better than us but I know for fact that we could beat a little respect into him to knock him off his high and mighty ass.**" the little devil said.

"**That would be pointless violence and a waste of time and energy. And may I remind you that in this thin chaos atmosphere, energy is not something to waste.**" The angel quickly retaliated feeling the need to counter it's twin.

There bickering was quite a distraction but I responded to Eclipse quickly before he suspected something was wrong. "How about you worry less about me and more about you. Afterall, I wasn't the one whose ass had to be rescued from becoming birdfeed." I knew this was the perfect insult to provoke him. It was a low blow to his pride as one the fiercest races to exist in the universe and I knew I could keep reminding him of it until he turned blue in the face or burst a vein which ever comes first.

In fact one of the veins on his head already looked like it was ready to burst and I had to fight to keep from smirking at his anger. "It. Was. Not. My. Fault! I WAS KNOCKED OUT COLD BECAUSE YOUR SIMPLEMINDED ATTACK THAT THREW US OFF THAT CLIFF AND CHAOS CONTROLLED US TO THIS BLASTED PLANET. IF ANYTHING THIS MESS WE'RE IN IS YOUR FAULT!" He screamed while jabbing his finger in my chest fur.

"Back off!" I said taking a step forward to get in his face like he did to me a moment ago. "I'm not responsible for the death of millions just for the selfish reason of harvesting food!" I shoved him enough to make him back up a few steps.

"I'm not the one who ran away with his tail between his legs when the second black comet was about to go up in pieces! " I shoved him again making him back up a few more steps.

"AND I'M NOT THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN THE MORALS OF A RACE THAT WAS PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF MARIA!" I shoved him a last time and he responded by growling menacingly and tackling me to the ground.

This wasn't a fight, it was a scuffle, a test of strength and dominance. In all my years of fighting not even with my rival, I had never engaged in something so animal like. It's like something strange was having an effect on me. I would have taken a moment to scout this feeling but I was far too busy wrestling Eclipse to the ground.

I managed to pin him to the ground with his wrists to his side. I felt a few areas on my body where I'm pretty sure he got me with his claws but it was ignored with the feeling of triumph swelling in my chest. "Here we are _again _Eclipse. You are once again helpless to do anything. I'm beginning to think Black Death's claim that he made you as a countermeasure to me was complete bullshit!" He looked like he was ready to burst a vein, but all of sudden he calmed down and grinned.

"Talk trash all you want Tasuyai, but your cockiness and overconfidence will one day cause you to make a grave mistake. And when it does I'll be there to finish you off when you least expect it!" That's exactly when I felt something wrap around my throat and tighten like a thick wire around my windpipe.

"Damn it!" His tail was choking me and he used the moment to flip me on my back and get on top of me. His hands soon replaced his tail and I could see pure glee in his face as he watched me struggle. "What's the matter hedgehog, lizard got your tongue?" he sneered.

I could feel the lack of air slowly getting to me so I did the only thing that seemed logical at the moment to get out of this position, I rolled. "Hrgh!" The strength of my movement sent us rolling down until I swear gravity was carrying us down a slope. I felt my quills catch on certain plants and dig into the ground. My body also came into contact with several rocks, twigs and anything else that could be found on the ground of a jungle until I fell into something wet and clay like. A few seconds later I heard the same noise again to my right as well as a groan.

_Great it's bad enough that we had to roll around on the ground but now I get roll around in mud too. I'm gonna kill him._

Eclipse stood slowly to his feet his countenance fairing much better than mine since mud and dirt dont stick as easily as it does to quills and fur. This time I made the first move. Pissed at being covered in filth I charged with aggression worthy of a wild animal and threw him into the mud. I forced his head under with my hands trying to make him choke on the mud and dirty water but he had picked up a clod of mud and rubbed it in my eyes. It started to sting and it was effective in blinding me. I felt him slip from under me like an eel while I desperately tried to get muck out of my eyes. When I realized it was useless I relied on my hearing just as I did back on Earth to guide my movements. As soon as I heard I whoosh of air I jumped to the side as best I could with the mud slowing my actions. Next I heard a plop that suggested he had moved around to my left and while it was a maneuver that I did not favor, I used the slick mud to slide tackle him with success. When I heard a huge splash I couldn't help but snicker, although I was still a bit peeved knowing now that I was completely covered in mud.

"That was a dirty trick Tasuyai." I heard his annoyed voice.

I couldn't help it. "If you hadn't noticed yet Eclipse we're fighting in mud. Of course things are going to get dirty." I mocked.

But before he could reply I felt something wrap around my ankle and turn me upside down. "What the hell?!" I almost began to panic. With my eyesight still hindered by the mud, I had no idea what was going on.

_The irony is that I poked fun at Eclipse for being kidnapped by a bird only to be put in a similarly helpless situation myself. Fate must be trying to tell me something._

I felt several other vine like appendages wrap around my body squeezing my like a boa constrictor but I couldn't move. Part of me wanted to call out to Eclipse to do something but I quickly dismissed the feeling knowing that he might very well abandon me. That alone gave me more strength to struggle a little harder but the vines constricting my body seemed to squeeze with even more vigor and it wasn't long before I passed out.

_Eclipse...please...help..._

**Author Note: Tasuyai is Eclipses dirty word in the language of the Black Arms (That I made up!) for calling Shadow a filthy Hybrid.**

**And don't worry. For those of you who may not like things like that in your fics there probably won't be too much more of it. Of course I will expand on the origin or culture of the Black Arms in my own way. **

**See ya! kunoichi814 out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yo guys! Really long update I know. But I had recently been reading a book series that gave me some great ideas for not just this story but a few others as well. It is the Unwind Dystology and it is a great dystopian novel that serves a perfect example of how society can be brainwashed by a single most influential group and taught to obey even the most outrageous laws. (Hint Hint you might see me write a story in dystopian nature similar to that one in the future!) I recommend reading all four books: UnWind, UnWholly, UnSouled, and UnDivided all by Neal Shusterman. Yay for death and destruction! XD Anyway good ole' Neal still gets the credit and I won't take his ideas but I sure will use em' as inspiration to fuel the old thinker machine. Sad to say I won't be able to use them to much in this story but that's okay because it just helps make this story more original.**

**Now thats enough of my input for book series. The show must go on!**

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Chapter 4

Eclipse

_That smug piece of filth. I'll make him regret mocking me-_

"What the hell?!" I heard from the hedgehog hybrid. I turned to see him being held by a vine like appendage before quickly being squeezed in a death like grip.

Ah what glee it brings me to watch him suffer. I felt that he deserved the torture he was receiving, after all he killed my master in a much more brutal way. I was not there to witness his death but I could feel it through the link that all Black Arms share. The blast of superheated chaos that mangled his body to a charred husk and ended his life is nothing compared to being simply suffocated to death.

_Running would be so easy. While the creature is distracted I could make a safe getaway._

_But should I?_

As much as I hate to admit it, I don't know if I could get back to Earth alone much less to any other planet. Black Death always stressed the importance of never venturing out into unknown lands alone. I disobeyed him on several occasions but never truly understood the importance of that until now even if my only ally is the experiment of some human.

I dodge to my right barely missing another vine trying to lunge at me and before I knew it four more had sprung up like pesky weeds. I dodged again and this time sliced the end of vine that got a little too close for comfort. It was quickly becoming a pattern that was beginning to tire.

_Eclipse...please...help..._

It was so faint and weak sounding but I knew exactly who the voice belonged to although I was a bit surprised that he had figured out how to re-open the telepathic link with me after so long ago. Unfortunately the realization was just enough to catch me off guard as I felt a vine wrap around my throat in a death grip similar to the one Shadow was in. As it lifted me, I registered a huge mound of mud rising to reveal an ugly maw with several shark like teeth. It reminds me a lot of the worm like Black Arms that used to inhabit glyphic canyon and if this creature shares their likeness then we'll both be eaten alive.

The grip on my throat was tightening and I began trying to muster enough strength to rip through the vines with my claws as I did before. Then I saw a black furry body dangling helplessly over the creatures mouth.

"Wake up...you...fool!" I gasped hoping he could hear my voice and snap out of it.

"You're not...allowed to die... until I take my…revenge...you pitiful mobian..." I said again in between gasps but the charcoal covered hedgehog was still unresponsive. I felt a growing panic take hold of me seeing his body dangle above the plant like beast similar to dangling a piece of meat over a starving animal. I refused to acknowledge the panic realizing that I may actually care what happens to my only ally, luckily oxygen deprivation was quickly giving me something else to think about. My vision was beginning to darken but not before seeing a sight that almost ran ice through my veins.

Shadow was falling.

_My only brother was falling to his death._

The memory of Black Death telling to me to escape before his eye carried me off flashed back to my mind.

_-"What are you-?! NO! Let me go!"-_

_-"MASTER! I'm sorry! I should have listened to you from the start! Let me help you! LET ME SAVE YOU!"-_

_-"NOOOO!"-_

_-"The Master's gone!"-_

"NO!" Anger and fear ignited a spark that gave way to the fire of my transformation. The vines that held me in air tore like paper against the strength of my bulky arms and the adrenaline washed away the lightheadedness that accompanied suffocation. I dropped in the mud ungracefully but quickly got to my feet to leap over the creatures open mouth. Time seemed to slow as I processed how we were going to escape but there was no hesitation in my actions. I knew exactly what I was going to do.

_He's a mockery of our race..._

_He killed my Master…_

_He killed my brothers and sisters…_

I felt myself make contact with his body.

_I hate him but…_

The momentum of my jump sends us hurtling to the other side of the mud pond dislodging any twigs that may have been stuck before the slide.

_He's the only one I have left...and I don't want to be alone._

And in that moment nothing else mattered to me more than getting as far away as possible from any kind of danger. So before the creature could retaliate for another round I fled from the the mud pond with Shadow in tow, not entirely sure what this means for the both of us afterward.

* * *

Shadow

Being squeezed of oxygen until you pass out isn't the best feeling in the world. I honestly thought I was finished right after I passed out so imagine my surprise when I find I'm still alive...and still caked with mud.

"Its about time you woke up Tasuyai. I'd hate to have to drag you around again like helpless deadweight after you proved just how useful you are earlier." Eclipse said from behind me.

"Hmph." I had nothing to say to that. As much as I hate to admit it, I did let myself get caught and almost killed and rather easily too. Eclipse will probably never let it go either, revenge for mocking him after I had to rescue him..

I stood up taking in my dirty fur, the river just a few feet away, and Eclipse standing with his back against the huge trunk of a tree.

"I see you followed my instructions after all found water and shelter. Maybe you're not as half-witted as I thought you to be." I smirked feeling some of the embarrassment of being saved by my enemy slip away.

"And maybe saving you wasn't worth all the trouble you put me through."

"..."

"You should wash that fur of yours. While being caked with mud is a good look for you, I'd rather leave this rock with the decency of knowing I wasn't stranded with something that looks like a wild animal."

I was feeling too weary to respond to his smart remarks. All I wanted to do was clean up and sleep.

_If I have to put up with more days like this I'm not entirely sure I'm going to make it in one piece._

I began removing my gloves and was about to remove my shoes as well but I couldn't help the feeling of being watched.

"Do you mind?" I said without turning around.

"What?" I could hear him shift slightly against the tree he was leaning against.

"Shouldn't you be patrolling the area or finding us some food or something?"

"I already scoped out the area before bringing you here. If this place wasn't safe I would have never bothered with it at all. And secondly I thought the whole point of finding shelter was so that we could avoid the more nocturnal beasts that prowl the night." He's right I did say that didn't I? He seemed irritated that I was trying to get rid of him and I was not looking forward to another fight right now. His presence is bothering more than I'm willing to show and I'm relieved I have my back turned to him.

"Strange. It's seems as if earlier you refused to let me out of your sight and now suddenly you want me to leave." He said it almost playfully and I can't help but feel like he's catching on to something.

"I just prefer to be alone right now. As a matter of fact if you don't want to come back that's fine with me. It's obvious that staying together might bring us more harm than good anyway."

There was an awkward silence for a moment and I thought he hadn't heard me. Then I began to feel that strange and very faint sensation at the edge of my mind.

_Come to think it I've felt something similar before like frustration when we were in that reptiles nest and something similar before passing out after almost being choked to death._

I turned around hoping my face doesn't betray my embarrassment. "Didn't you hear me-"

He was right in my face much too close for comfort staring deeply into my eyes. Then he smirked and a glint appeared in his eye that I didn't like at all.

"What's so damn _funny?_" I tried to add venom in my voice as a warning but I knew my usual dose of indifference and condescending attitude wasn't fazing him.

"This ridiculous little fear you have of being watched while you bathe is about the most amusement I've gotten out you all day besides seeing you roll around in mud like a pig. "

All I could do was widen my eyes in surprise at this. "I never told you about _that!_ "

"You didn't have to. We still share a link hedgehog and as long as we both live, I can use it to get inside your head as much as I want." A pause. "And here's a penny for your thoughts. Since the blood of the Black Arms is stronger inside me I will always have that advantage over you and nothing you do will ever change that. "

He looks at me again and snickers while walking away and I'm left with not only a reason to kick myself for allowing him to pick my mind like that but also a new fear as well. I remember the last time he got inside my head and while I was able to withstand his control I wouldn't put it past him to succeed this time since there will be no underestimation of my ability.

I sighed heavily feeling this new piece of info increase my stress level. _As if surviving long enough to repair the damaged emerald wasn't stressing enough. Now I have to be weary of his little mind games._

And as I bathed in the silence and solitude of the river I couldn't help but blush at the realization of Eclipse knowing something so personal.

_Could things get any more stressing?  
_

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**A/N: Poor Shadz. Things are really gonna get hectic in the next chapter. But thats why I love writing this stuff. As you read my fics you'll probably notice something about my style. I have a habit of making the main characters suffer and letting you see them at their worst before letting you see them at their best. And also the dialogue Eclipse uses before he breaks free of the vines is in Sonic Universe Comic Shadow Fall Part 4. That's all until next time. Roxa out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo! I'm back and school is finally out! Phew! I thought I was going to die before it ended. Anyway I'll try to write more now that I don't have homework to worry about. As always constructive criticism is welcome!**

**I don't own Shadow or Eclipse.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5

Bounty Hunter

Being a small animal on the jungle floor in the afternoon or what could be assumed as such on this planet is probably the most unfortunate position to be in right now. Especially when the cause of your misfortune happens to be a military like vehicle with a large barb wire like grill on the front speeding at you at about 60 miles an hour.

The vehicle with its large sharp barbs on the front cut through all kinds of shrubbery and underbrush with frightening force practically carving out a road in its wake. But thats not all it cut through either. Any animal unlucky enough to be caught in its path was brutally rammed by the force of the vehicle impaling themselves on the sharp protrusions or crushed under the huge tires without remorse.

You'd think having only one driver around for hundreds of miles would be so much safer.

"Pesky little critters. Now I'm gonna haf ta clean the grill again. Ain't they smart nuf to see I'm driving here." The hunter now fully exposed to the sunlight of the afternoon was revealed to be similar to a white tiger with black stripes on his not overly bulky but muscled arms. Both his ears which would be much longer and narrower than any wild cat were cut so that only an inch of each ear was left. Despite the humidity of the jungle he wore a long brown overcoat, combat boots, thick beige pants and a black shirt. He wore fingerless gloves and a strap across his shoulder to hold his last accessory that completed his get-up was a beige hat that cast a slight darkness over his eyes.

A coarse muscular hand reached over to pet the two headed mongrel happily drooling in the passenger seat, aware that any creature killed by his owners vehicle would end up being a tasty snack before they had to get to work.

When the military car stopped it was in the middle of a small clearing. After driving for several hours the bounty hunter was looking forward to catching his next paycheck even if it meant giving up a night of sleep. The double snare jumped out the side of the vehicle, nose to ground while the hunter was busy putting bullets into his gun with practiced ease.

"Don't fail me now Lucy, " He muttered then looked up when he heard a distinct chewing noise from his left.

"Oy!" He said marching around to pull both collars each by a finger up harshly. "Get yer greedy maw 'way from there. Ya fat 'nuf as it is ya mongrel."

"Now get to sniffin' Ara." The double snare gave one last whine before putting both its noses to the ground. The albino hunter followed behind his hunting partner in silence and it wasn't long before they were able to pick up two very distinct voices.

* * *

Shadow

Eclipse and I have been hiking through the jungle greenery for awhile now and I can tell that we are finally nearing its edges. He was leading, clearly somewhat confident as to where he's going. When I inquired about this he simply said something about having a sense of deja vu and left it at that. As much as having him lead makes me uneasy I know that I don't really have a choice in the matter. All I can do is hope that he's leading us in the right direction.

"_**How unfortunate for us it would be if he were simply setting a trap to get away."**_

_How unfortunate for me that I still have to hear myself talk. _Not long after we started traveling again these...whatever you want to call them came back and their chattier than ever. Luckily I also learned that I don't have to speak to communicate with these mini sized versions of myself.

"_**I still find it rather strange why he chose to save us all things considered,**_" the one with black wings continued floating on my left.

Even I didn't have a good answer for that one other than the fact that he may _need _me rather than want me.

_What are you anyway? _

"_**We are you, more specifically we represent your two halves," **_the white winged one answered.

_Why haven't I seen you before and what do you mean you represent my two halves. _I vaulted over a fallen tree keeping my eyes trained on the vermilion aliens back but I could see both of them out of the corner of eye.

"_**There was never any need to. You never came into contact with any Black Arms except for during the invasion. When Black Doom tried to control your mind he awakened your Black Arm blood. Before the invasion it was dormant which is why you were able to resist him but afterwards it grew stronger. And now it's even more active because of the link you solidified with Eclipse and the others on the second Black Comet."**_

_But that does not answer my question. Why are you here and what are you?_

Before the white winged one could answer I heard an irritated sigh and turned to my left to see my miniature doppleganger with charcoal wings glaring at me darkly. It was a little weird to say the least. I rarely look into mirrors and seeing me glare at myself is just...awkward.

"_**He means your Mobian half and your Black Arm half are beginning to conflict with one another. " **_He said it like it was so obvious and I had to resist the urge to growl. It almost makes me want to stop being so arrogant all the time if this is what it's like for everyone else around me.

_Hmph. Almost._

_So what you're saying is that you two are the result of something that could become a potential problem for me in the future?_

"_**Or a potential gift." **_The smaller me on the left said with a bit of a sadistic smirk.

"_**Worst case scenario, your Black Arm nature becomes too strong and you lose yourself," **_the one on the right side said small white wings fluttering a bit nervously but his expression clearly not showing it.

That got my immediate attention. _That is absurd. The moment I turned on Black Doom I wanted nothing more to do with him or his ambitions. I can not see myself ever becoming anything like him or Eclipse for that matter._

"_**That does not matter. If you succumb to your other half you will become as barbaric and beast like as the creatures you hate most even more so."**_

I didn't like the sound of that. During the invasion I saw some of the most brutal attacks on humans and sapients alike by some of the more aggressive Black Arms. I can't even begin to imagine myself ever becoming like that, losing myself to primordial alien instincts and going on a killing spree. But then that also brings up a bigger problem: Does Eclipse know about this? Could he possibly use his link to me to force me into that state given that he might be able to control me like the very simplistic soldiers that when organized became a force to be reckoned with. Would he ever have any reason to? It seems that every moment I spend with Eclipse reveals how much of a liability he is to keep around. And since there's no chance of either one of us gaining the others trust anytime soon, its safe to say that he could take advantage of me anytime he wants and there's not much I can do to stop him especially since the emerald is useless to me.

Damn it. I'm not just outmatched I'm at his mercy. The chaos is too weak here to draw on efficiently and even if it wasn't he could still nullify my abilities, his transformation allows him to overpower me, and this link that he has allows him to get inside my head much to my displeasure. The only way to fight him is to outspeed and outmaneuver him but how long would my stamina last considering my shoes are also powered by chaos? I was so engrossed in my thoughts I barely managed catch myself before walking right into the subject of all my thoughts.

"Why did you stop?"

He didn't answer right away as he seemed to be busy looking down at something. When I stepped around him I saw that he was staring at a huge slab of rock that came up to our waist. There was a strange language engraved in it the stone, the small curvy like script splayed in neat rows across the rock.

"This confirms my suspicions. We were transported to a planet the Black Arms have already conquered."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I recognize this language. This area used to be part of a city." He responded for once without a condescending tone.

"Just how many planets has the Black Arms destroyed in their conquest anyway." My voice sounded bitter and I wanted to make it clear how much I disapprove of this finding.

He finally looked at me, amber eyes bordering on anger once again. "I don't understand why you hate our race so much. There is nothing wrong with what we did."

"_Nothing wrong? _Please then alien, enlighten me about how the genocide of races whose planets you conquered is supposed to be right."

I was sure he was going to raise his voice but instead he seemed to keep his anger under control this time which was a bit of a surprise.

"Have you ever heard of the laws of nature Tasuyai. Natural selection, predator and prey, the food chain."

"What!?"

"The Black Arms did what we had to to survive. We are the predators and those we choose to be our targets are the prey." He walked passed me emotions still flaring but even more controlled now. "Those who are too weak to withstand our wrath are not worthy to continue living anyway."

"But my planet withstood the wrath of the Black Arms didn't it? We weren't as _weak_ as you might have been lead to believe." I didn't turn to face him but I heard a rather loud snort.

"Spare me your bull hedgehog. Had you never existed that planet would have been under our control by now. You were the only one who held any real threat against Black Doom and our armies and only because you had Black Arms blood to begin with. Without our blood you wouldn't even be able to harness the power of chaos much less use it to take out our leader."

I clenched my fist in anger partly because I knew he had a point and partly because he was basically putting me down and calling me weak. However, even if my power did come from the fact that the alien blood allows me to absorb and use chaos I know that there are a few mobians who are an exception to his assumption.

I was about to argue that it was more than just Black Arms DNA that allowed me to defeat Black Doom but before I could I heard a faint rustle of leaves just a few feet away. Eclipse must have picked up on my sudden loss of interest in the matter and studied me carefully.

And then I heard a click.

I barely managed to miss a bullet whizz past right as I grabbed my alien counterpart by the arm and sped off before he could protest. I dared to look back to see what was chasing us but there was nothing there.

"In front you fool!" I skid to a stop dirt flying a bit as something big and black leaped right in my path bearing its canines with fierce intensity.. I'd never seen anything like it before. It was a huge two headed black wolf like creature but what struck me as odd was that it had collars.

I never broke eye contact with the creature preferring to predict its movements before trying to make a hasty getaway. My concentration was locked on the animal and I barely noticed losing my grip on a scaled arm but I could see Eclipse turn around beside me and give a growl.

"Ya know, I thought you'd two be a bit bigger but no matter you'll still fetch me a high price."

"Who do you think you think you are approaching me in such a manner?!" Eclipse snarled refusing to acknowledge me. I'm beginning to become accustomed to his condescending attitude.

"Let's just say I'm a bounty hunter and you're the bounty, eh? Me n' Ara over there are gonna catch ya n' rake in some doe. 'Course I'd was hoping you lot would give us a run for our money or so to speak." He chuckled laughing at his own wit. I hadn't even turned to see this bounty hunter and already I was annoyed with this hillbilly accent of his.

The two headed wolf creature continued to eye me like a hawk. It carefully took in any slight movements I made and I knew the two of us had to get away. This mutt clearly had plenty of experience in hunting, I could see it in its eyes. If Eclipse moves the bounty hunter will take the shot. If I move no matter who comes after me I could use my speed to get away but that would mean leaving Eclipse here. Another idea popped into my head and I decided to act on it.

_Its risky but its better than nothing_. I slowly started reaching into my quills as Eclipse continued to question this hunter...

"A bounty hunter here? On a deserted planet? I've never heard of such a thing! And why would you want us?"

I could feel the hunters devilish smirk behind me "It's no secret that the Black Arms were one a' the most feared races this side of the galaxy. 'Cuz of what they done there are plenty a' other races that want a piece of ya. I'm just helpin' 'em get what they want is all. " I heard the cocking of a gun as if he was preparing to shoot. "Though I'd like your opinion. Who'd you think pay more? The blood thirsty mugs who wanna take revenge on the Black Arms by crucifying ya in their own society or the sick bastards who want ya in there exotic zoo for intergalactic aliens?" he sneered.

It was just at that moment that I had took out the damaged emerald and managed drain enough energy from it to send a chaos spear at the ground. The resulting explosion sent dirt and rocks flying everywhere. I heard the two headed wolf creature give yelp after leaping away. I gave it a swift kick to the side hoping to send it flying against a tree to knock it out but it was much heavier than I thought and only skid a few feet away before lunging again. I stepped to the right as it leapt but it was close enough to snap at me with both of its maws. Saliva flew from its mouth as it tried to take a bite out of me and before I knew it my back was against a tree. When it lunged this time I had nimbly jumped above it at the last second to see fangs digging into bark. It growled irritated that its fangs had sunk into tree rather than black fur and I couldn't help but smirk at the simple minded attack. But Unfortunately this is where things got more complicated. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Eclipse had transformed and had both his hands locked gripping the hunters in a stalemate. The bounty hunters gun was lying just a few feet away and neither of them seemed to budge. That hunter was obviously a lot stronger than he looked but I couldn't focus on the vermillion alien as a black mass of teeth and and drool crashed into me. I felt my head hit the ground hard but it was nothing compared to the bite I received in the shoulder.

"Aaah." I yelled as fangs dug deep into flesh.

"Get off of me you filthy mutt!" I punched it as hard as I could in the side of its head until I felt it loosen its grip on me. Before it could shake off the pain I used my legs to send it sailing over my head. As I got up though gripping my bleeding shoulder I realized something.

_Didn't this thing have two heads?_

No sooner had I thought that I was rammed in the back and sent sprawling across the dirt. The impact knocked the breath out of me and the pain in my shoulder became worse as I'm sure I felt it hit something before I stopped rolling. I could feel the chaos in my body rushing to my shoulder, the area beginning to become unnaturally hot as my speed healing took effect but it was slow and I was tiring too fast. I winced as I stood again and confirmed with my eyes that the creature had indeed split into two halves and both of them appeared to be sneering at me in triumph as if I had already lost.

A growl escaped my throat refusing to look weak even to a feral animal such as this one. I got into another fighting stance as I heard a gunshot go off a few feet away from me. I saw the hunter had managed to retrieve his gun and Eclipse still transformed was now on the defensive.

One of the black creatures charged at me and I swiftly kicked it away only to be met with a second one whose jaws I caught in both my hands keeping them from snapping closed.

_Ugh that stench is horrible. _I scrunched up my face in disgust feeling hot breath that smelled of blood and rotting flesh waft over me.

Chaos controlling would be really helpful right now I thought as I tossed the creature aside with a grunt slightly panting as they seemed to retaliate.

_But that would be way too risky. My chaos spear used up way more energy than it should have. Attempting something that uses even more chaos might as well be the same as signing my death warrant._

It was then that I realized we can't win this fight. The hunter and his gun could easily take shots at us before we get close and this thing is coordinated in its attacks.

We have to retreat before it's too late.

"Eclipse! We have to make a run for it!"

"I don't think so!" The hunter said taking aim at Eclipse once more. I had just enough time to close the distance and punch the hunter shifting his aim off target and missing the vermillion alien by a mile.

Sensing the two wolf creatures behind me I ducked as they leapt over me and crashed into the already slightly disoriented bounty hunter. when I looked up my alien counterpart had already transformed back and nodded and we took off in the direction as far from the bounty hunter as possible. As we neared the ruins of a temple reminiscent of the same slab of stone we saw before I couldn't help but get the feeling that this chase had barely begun.

* * *

**For all of you wondering where the 'bound' part is it's coming. Just thought I'd have some good lead up to it first.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, all you people out there reading Bound. Thanks for the favs they really make me happy. I'll be honest with you guys, I don't get as much inspiration to write this story as I do my other one (The Power of Primal) but I do promise to finish it. After such a long wait I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as it contains ideas that meet my expectations of interesting and entertaining. Oh and I haven't forgotten about the Dark Arms. You'll probably see them in this fic at some point, it's just to early right now.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

Eclipse

The humid and hot air hit me like a wave after entering the temple. Sunlight shined through cracks in the ceiling casting a dim light over the ruined columns and and broken statues. I ran deeper into the temple while listening for any kind of sound that would indicate the hunter's presence. The hybrid and I had split up before reaching the temple. Eventually the stone walls began to become more intricate with the same kind of language as the one on the stone slab. Some of our history was written on these walls pertaining to the very reason the hedgehog and I were here and I couldn't help but think back to an earlier time when my master was still alive...

* * *

_**Years ago**_...

I was walking through one of the many corridors of the temple by memory alongside my brothers. They constantly patrolled this part of the temple because of the several secrets hidden away here, one of which I would be discovering now.

I had entered a large room with glyphic symbols from our language engraved into the walls. There were torches lit in every corner of the room, dim light flickering faintly. However they were nothing compared to the light coming from a huge green jewel spinning slowly in the center of the room flanked by two statues of Black Hawks. The jewel floated atop a pedestal next to where my Master Black Death floated.

"You called for me master?" I said after recognizing the floating form beside the pedestal.

"Come closer child." He intoned deeply. Every step that brought me closer to the gem made the scales on my body tingle with warm chaos energy.

"What is this Master and where are we?" I asked. Although I had been almost everywhere in the temple, I was still amazed that their was still so much I hadn't seen.

"This is the key to one of our races most powerful weapons." He gestured to the pulsating jewel. " This jewel contains an extraordinary energy that releases the power sealed inside the temple. When activated, its allows us to use the temple as not only a vessel for our armies but as a formidable tool of destruction." My Master gestured at the wall behind me the flames of the torches suddenly growing brighter until the room was illuminated.

"Our ancient history tells that our leader and saviour Black Doom was a genius in the ways of war. It was his brilliant idea to arrive on a planet and force the inhabitants to build our temples then come back years later after the jewel had drained enough energy and utilize it to its fullest potential."

"So that is why these temples exist?" I said taking it all in. I skimmed over some of the language written on the wall. It talked about Black Doom and the Arcrux Wars, the first wars ever fought by our race. It seemed to go into more detail about how the jewels were formed and how Black Doom managed to attain victory because it.

"Yes, and one day Eclipse you will lead armies of your own, utilizing the temples to avenge our lord and bring suffering and terror to those foolish enough to oppose the Black Arms. And you'll start by killing that wretched hedgehog who doesn't deserve to share our blood."

Just the thought of the hybrid that disobeyed our leader and killed him was enough to make my already hot blood boil further. He was the reason for the death of so many of my brothers and ending his existence is my purpose. Although I hate him with the intensity of a white hot fire more potent than the suns of Arcrux I suppose I should be grateful to him for one thing. If it wasn't for his disobedience I might not exist right now. As the sparks of my anger settle down but not go out I look to my Master who seemed deeply in thought about something.

"Master, if the jewels have so much power, why not use them to strengthen our soldiers?" I had read many scrolls containing all the information about our race and they all seemed to keep stressing that large amounts of power are needed to further our evolution.

"While the jewels do contain large amounts of chaos, the energy is raw and unrefined. The energy is not fully compressed and trying to use it to strengthen soldiers would render them uncontrollable. " He put his hands inside each others sleeve and looked at me with expressionless eyes. "We are creatures who crave chaos down to every fiber of our being. To allow exposure to such raw chaos would mean giving in to those primal instincts and becoming mindless beasts that would not obey orders well." My tail flicked as I thought about it then realized why Black Doom wanted the chaos emeralds so bad. The emeralds were a refined and much easier to control source of chaos. If he had succeeded in conquering that backwater planet, he could have used them to strengthen our forces perhaps even himself.

Still even though the jewels were being used to power the temples, I still believe the energy within could be put to greater use.

* * *

**Present...**

I had reached a dead end or what would look like such to any other non-Black Arm. The wall in front of me had a dull red colored substance that pooled in the center of the wall and seemed to have similarities to water. I walked up to it slowly placing a taloned hand on the gooey substance. I could feel exactly where it flowed and grinned.

_Even after all this time it seems the conduit gel still works._

My grin was cut short as the slight clicking of claws against stone was heard. It sounded like something on all fours and I had a feeling it was the hunters flea bitten partner getting close. Without the need for any further motivation I lept into the conduit gel, allowing it to take me straight to the heart of the temple, a resounding howl fading as I was moved away from it.

* * *

Shadow

My shoulder was throbbing and the exertion from running wasn't helping at all. Fortunately I think most of the bleeding had stopped and I might have lost the hunter while entering the temple. When I felt comfortable enough to safely have a rest I turned into a room where a hole in the ceiling was letting sunlight through. Plants and undergrowth were growing through the stone and several vines were hanging through the hole in the roof. I took a seat on a broken slab of rock right behind the hole and examined my shoulder.

The blood had congealed in my fur making it sticky and uneven. The bite marks were still visible but hidden rather well with my dark colored fur.

_I hope it doesn't become infected because of alien bacteria they may have been in that mutt's mouth. Alien rabies is the last thing I want to have to deal with._

I sighed knowing I couldn't treat my wound and left it alone. I had no idea where Eclipse was or if he was captured by the hunter but I hoped he wasn't.

When I rested enough I started walking around the temple peaking around corners and turning my ears to listen for sound. This was the perfect place to ambush me. I held my shoulder gently hoping the light pressure would stop it from hurting so much when I move and thats when part of the floor suddenly caved in taking me by surprise. I grabbed on to one of the stone bricks making up what was once the floor and tried to pull myself up but the effort reopened the bite wound and blood began leaking down my arm. I looked down hoping I see something to jump down to but saw nothing but darkness. My shoulder was beginning to burn but I held on. Unfortunately the brick I was holding on t,o did not and dislodged itself letting me fall.

The fall wasn't long but it was high enough to make me my already aching body protest even more. I coughed from the dust that I breathed in and stood back on my feet seeing mostly darkness all around me. The little bit of light I did have shined through just enough to let me see that I was in a narrow hallway. _An underground passage maybe?_

I should have just tried to find a way out so that I could look for Eclipse, but something down into the darkness of the passageway was calling out to me. Unlike the chaos emeralds that give off a sort of pulse when I'm near, this felt different and _darker. _It was a creeping feeling like small insects crawling up my insides. Part of me was just curious and the other part was urging me to rush right in. Although it might not have been the the smartest idea I _am _the Ultimate Lifeform and I fear nothing. I've made it through life this far and I'm not ready to die yet.

As I walked the the narrow passageway, even my night vision was becoming useless but I could tell I was getting closer to something because I began stepping on what felt like dirt, and dead roots. Thats when I felt the crawling feeling at its strongest and I stopped. The torches in the room lit up the walls and I couldn't help but let go of my shoulder and shudder at the depiction on the wall surrounded by thorny roots..

It was...indescribable.

It was some kind of beast or demon maybe… sitting in a thrown. It had six eyes that went around a lizard like head, needle like teeth and a thorny crown with sun and moon symbols on it. Unlike Black Doom and Black Death it wore scarlet armor and a rust colored sash that hung down off its waste. Huge hook curved red talons were on each of its hands and feet. If you looked closer it almost looked as if it had wings behind it. However the most shocking thing about the whole picture were the beings around it. I immediately recognized Black Death and Black Doom but the other 7 were unknown.

I stepped back not sure whether to be afraid of the fact that there were more of them or because the being in the center looks much more formidable than Black Doom or Black Death ever did.

_**He was the one…**_

_**...possessed a heart of pure poison…**_

_**...blood as the dark as the dark of the moon…**_

_**...scorching hatred and blazing treachery…**_

Voices began to speak all around the room and I couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from. I managed to hear only bits and pieces and most of what I heard didn't make sense.

_**...skinned him alive and devoured his bones…**_

_**...dark magic and blasphemous rituals…**_

_**...removed his eyes and took his power…**_

"Shut up already!" I yelled the voices increasing in pitch and speed. It felt like they were speaking inside my head, hoarse whispering voices that seemed to be growing angrier every moment.

_**...wore his body like a coat…**_

_**...a snake in dragon skin…**_

_**...the king of murderers bathed in cold blood…**_

"SHUT UP DAMN IT! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE!" I screamed putting my palms to my ears and closing my eyes trying to shut out the noise and failing.

_**HIS BLOOD FLOWS IN YOUR VEINS…**_

_**WRETCH WHO TRESPASSES ON THE KINGS HOLY GROUND…**_

_**THE SNAKE HAS SHED HIS SKIN FOR NEW FLESH!**_

_**CURSE YOU, DECEIVING SERPENT! VENOM BE IN THINE MIND AND SOUL. LET THE POISON OF THE KING BURN THROUGH YOUR HEART AND EAT AWAY AT YOUR FREEDOM. BECOME THE BEAST YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AND LIVE WITH YOUR SUFFERING UNTIL YOU PERISH. GODS, SPIRITS, AND FALLEN ONES, LET THIS CURSE REMAIN UNTIL THE BONDS OF OUR BROTHERS SOOTHE THE WRATH OF THE KING!**_

And then as soon as it started it stopped. The torches were still flickering around the room and everything was as it was before I came...or so I thought.

The picture that was on the wall was gone. It was as if it was never there to begin with.

_Did I imagine the whole thing? _I took a huge breath realizing that my heart had been hammering in my chest the whole time and my body was shaking slightly. It took a moment to get it under control but once I did the room began to start shaking. Rocks and dirt started falling from the ground and I realized the room must have become unstable. The roots that had crept up the wall turned from black to gray before breaking off easily and some of the bricks of the wall in front of me began falling showing there was an area on the other side. Ducking slightly and dodging falling debris I leapt through the opening just as everything came crashing down behind me. Luckily this area had a bit of light shining through just a few meters ahead and there were vines hanging down that I could climb.

Still a little unnerved by my findings in that room I wasted no time hauling myself to find I was in a higher level of the temple.

"Well well. Looks like I got a hedgie to hunt." Said a familiar voice behind me that I didn't want to hear right now. I turned my head around quickly to see the hunter with his gun aimed me smirking like he hit the lottery. "Whatcha been doin' down there hedgie? Diggin' fer treasure?"

I leapt out the hole my irritation with his accent allowing me to regain my nerve. "None of your damn business."

"Still feisty are ya? Good." Not too far away a howl could be heard and it sounded like the two headed creature who was working with the hunter. Just my luck… If the mutt reunites with his owner they could triple team me. So I had no other choice but to try and incapacitate the hunter.

Without warning I charged in and the hunter didn't hesitate to start shooting. Stepping around his line of fire was easy. I've had so much experience with guns that it's easy to predict the bullet path and with my speed he might as well be shooting the ground anyway. When I was in nearly point blank range I ducked under another bullet and gave him roundhouse kick to the side of his head. He grunted and stumbled backward but didn't fall.

"So ya like it up close and personal eh? Well welcome to me shop ya son of a bitch cuz this next one is free!" He pulled out a strange cylindrical device and blue energy flowed out from it forming a whip. He cracked it like a lion tamer beside him and the bricks making up the floor jutted up in the area where the whip hit. As much as I wanted to ring his dirty little neck with that whip all I could do was jump out of the way of his attacks. He spun forward and swung at my head prompting me to bend over backwards to avoid it before stepping right then swinging the whip to his left all the while breaking up the floor with frightening force.

"How do ya like me tazer whip you scrawny bastard! " I flipped backward to avoid another swing. His blows were getting closer...he's getting use to my speed and anticipating my movements. I landed smoothly as he took a moment to stop in his assault to revel in the fact that he had the upper hand.

"I'd say you look rather pretty twirling that thing around like a ribbon dancer but then I'd be insulting cows that dance." _I hope he falls for it._

"Smart ass. Ya won't be mouthin' off ta me when I let Ara piss all over the muzzle I'm gonna put on ya." He swung the whip again hitting an unbroken column behind me. As expected he hit it with great force just like all the other swings and the column began to topple over. The expression on his face when he realized what he just did was priceless and the column fell on him destabilizing the ground along with all the other times he cracked his whip weakening the floor. He fell through with a hard bang but before I could check to see what happened the two headed creature pounced with a ferocious growl looking to take off my head. I stepped out the way albeit not too gracefully as its claws dug in skidding a bit on the floor. It gave another growl at me as if daring to retaliate before leaping down to find his master. It was a good thing these underground passageways seem to run under the temple. They helped out greatly with dealing with the hunter at least for now.

_"Where are you, Tasuyai! I have found what we've been looking for." _A voice that sounded like Eclipses spoke in my head. He seemed irritated like he caught me sitting on my ass doing nothing. _That bastard, he wouldn't be so annoyed with me if he knew what I had to deal with._

_"Quit nagging and tell me where to find you." _I replied two fingers to my temple concentrating on his connection as I bolted from the room. As he directed me towards his location I heard noises behind me. "Guess he's not much of one for down time is he?" I tried to peer behind me but I could see nothing.

"You should see a wall with the conduit gel right in front of you." As he said it, I saw the strange dull red goo I had used before on the second Black Comet and didn't hesitate to use it. On the other side was a miffed looking Eclipse impatiently waiting for me.

"Finally, what were you doing? Picking fleas out of your fur?" I responding by flipping him the birdie while removing the emerald from my quills.

"Now how do we do this?" I was eager to repair the emerald as soon as possible especially since the hunter was still _very_ much alive.

"Just absorb the energy from the jewel and focus it into the emerald and it should work."

"Should? Should?!" I gave him an intense glare.

"You would do _best_ to fix your tone and lower your gaze filthy half-breed. " There was venom in his words so potent it felt like it could kill with just a drop. I gripped the viridescent emerald in my hand tighter and I knew my pride just accepted a challenge that I shouldn't be making right now. We were both desperate to escape but our panic turned into frustration towards one another that was growing into anger very quickly.

Trying to get some control back I turned away from him and placed a hand on the jewel I had seen once before in Glyphic Canyon. I focused on channeling the chaos letting it flow through me in waves. It felt like being dehydrated then getting fresh cool water after so long. As I could feel the crack in the emerald closing the wound on my shoulder began to heal as well.

"Faster Tasuyai! We don't have all day!" The vermillion alien seemed keen on pissing me off today. "Don't rush me damn it, I need to focus." I continued to repair the emerald until I heard Eclipse give an impatient growl.

"Let me see it!" I felt him grab the emerald and almost snatch it out of my hand if I hadn't held on tightly.

"What are you doing?!" I hissed placing my other hand on top of his while his other hand rested on top of mine.

"Your too slow! We'll be caught before you finish. "He tugged the emerald in his direction making me stumble forward a few steps. "And you think you can do better?!"

I tugged in my direction making him stumble forward. It was a tug of war over the emerald and I never thought I'd feel so childish like we're two children fighting over a toy.

"LET. GO." He hissed baring his fangs in my face. "MAKE ME." I responded baring my fangs to show I wasn't going to give up. We both then got the idea to push off in different directions in a last ditch effort to wrench the emerald out of the others grasp.

We pulled and the emerald went flying...we both jumped for it in midair...

"ITS MINE!" We shouted sights set only on the emerald not even aware if the danger that was present with us in the room now. And before either of us could touch it something was shot at us clicking around both of our wrists and sending us landing backwards behind the jewel. When we looked up we saw the bounty hunter and his partner strolling around the spherical jewel while the emerald rolled to stop at his feet. He picked up the emerald like he had all the time in the world and grinned a cheshire cat like smile.

"Quite a fuss over a rock isn't it? I'll make sure to get me moneys worth out of it when I'm through with you two." Eclipse and I were speechless like deer caught in headlights and the bounty hunter lifted his gun once more and took aim...

* * *

**Hope you guys liked it. For those of you who have played Shadow the Hedgehog, you should have realized the reference I made to the Glyphic Canyon stage easily. I also encourage you to take a look at my pokemon and sonic crossover as it is based off omega ruby and alpha sapphire. Roxa out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yo guys Roxa's back. I apologize for the excruciatingly long wait. Ugh college. But now that the semester's almost over I hope to get in more chapters to this story my other one as well as start some new stories I recently finished the plot for.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7

Shadow

A trigger at my head and my adrenaline on high... A combination of events I've experienced before but never quite like this. I feel as though my freedom has been snatched right out of my hands and while part of me wants to blame Eclipse for it, the other part wants blame myself as well.

_Is this how it ends? _The barrel of the crude looking shotgun pointing in our direction seemed like a trigger sealing away our chances of ever escaping. Eclipse, who was right beside seemed just helpless as I was and the seconds passed like hours. I almost didn't notice the rumbling as it seemed to start off slow before escalating.

The hunter had also picked up on the strange noise, but while he never shifted his aim on us, it was clear he was also becoming suspicious. The sound of splitting rock grated on all of ears and while the hunter had his back facing the destruction unfolding behind him, the two of us could clearly see a larger than life fissure opening up like the jaws of some monster.

_Between the underground passage that caved in, and the column that fell through in the other room, the structure of the temple must be starting to collapse. If we all fall through we'll be buried alive under the entire thing. We have to escape now._

I stood abruptly maintaining my balance even with the ground shifting under me and Eclipse did the same. Unfortunately our sudden movements drew the hunter and his partners attention back to us immediately.

"Not so fast ere' ya sneaky bastards," he raised the gun again and held his finger on the trigger. "Hell may be comin' down 'round us but I'm not leavin' til I get what I came for. And if I end up twenty feet under I'll at least be 'appy knowin' me reputation stays in tact if I can take ya down wit me."

Eclipse growled and mumbled something that sounded like 'persistent wretch' and I tensed knowing he wouldn't hesitate this time. I was prepared to move as quickly as possible to avoid the bullet only for his his aim to miss and shoot right between me and my alien counterpart. The fissure had caught up to him and tipped his balance just enough to screw up his aim.

I didn't wait any longer. I dashed off away from the hunter, any direction better than that one only to feel a tug on my left arm pulling me. I looked back ready to bite off the head of the condescending bastard if he starts raising hell about something to delay our escape only see something attached to my wrist behind my inhibitor ring.

_When did this get here?! _It was some kind of metal shackle with a chain link made out of energy and on the other end of it with an identical looking shackle was...

_Damn..._

Luckily I didn't have time to think too much on what being shackled to that maniac would mean because the force of gravity was beginning to pull me over the edge of the fissure after eclipse went over the edge. I pulled on my shackled wrist, hoping he'd snap out of the surprise I saw plastered on his face after realizing the situation we've been put in. He climbed back up and gave me the quick and dirty version of his "you're a filthy hybrid look" before taking off in the direction I was headed.

I glanced back out of curiosity as Eclipse began leading us out of the temple, only to see the hunter was nowhere in sight. It would be nice to think he and his freakish dog had fallen into the fissure and would soon be crushed under a ton of rubble but something tells me he wouldn't go down that easily. And even if he did, it would mean the emerald would be buried with him. A typical _lose lose _situation.

Now that the emerald is in his hands, it's inevitable that we will meet again. My only hope is that I can remove the shackles before then.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set slightly, cooling the heated air to much more comfortable conditions. It's too bad they did little to improve both of our sour moods. After failing to repair the damaged emerald, the alien and I had stopped to assess our current problem.

"I can't believe this happened! Not only is the emerald still damaged but in the hands of that wretched hunter and his mut!" Agitation getting the better of him, the vermilion alien paced in front of me swinging the energy chain right in my face as a tried to use a rock to break the shackle on my wrist.

It was obvious that these were no ordinary shackles. Upon closer inspection the cuff was thick and made of a shiny dense metal. While they looked very similar to a pair of handcuffs on Mobius, the cuff itself felt like it weighed at least ten pounds. To both of us that's hardly anything but it does help put into perspective just how hard the things are. Not too mention the fact that we were linked together by a chain of light blue energy rather than metal.

"Encountering any other kind of beast or creature would have been more preferred than chased by an idiot with a speech impairment and his sideshow..."

_Who was he talking to? Does he not realize I'm not paying any attention to his anger induced rant?_

_**"Does it really matter? If he loses his mind we could always cut losses by cutting his arm off. I'm sure the madness will act as a painkiller, or at least an explanation as to why his arm is missing." **_I had nearly forgotten about these two instances of my consciousness. I figured it would be hard to keep talking to the both of them without having some kind of name for them. I decided to call the one with white wings "Cross" and the one with black wings "Kuro".

I sighed as the rock I was using to try and break my cuff shattered into pieces _again. _I should be concerned that Kuro, my Black Arm half, said something so gruesome, but unfortunately I was too tired for it. After all who's to say I won't be spouting the same crap if we don't find a way to remove these shackles.

"-and furthermore I have to have _you_ leashed to me in a very undignified way. Just look at you- you look like some filthy deranged half beast, and you smell like-"

"Watch your mouth you prick," I said irritation beginning to wear on my nerves as I stand to meet him eye to eye. "Instead of chatting with yourself like the useless bastard you are you should be trying to help me find a way to break the shackles." I held up my left wrist to his face to make a point.

"Or would you prefer to stay leashed to the deranged beast you constantly feel the need to annoy to death."

**"**_**Good one. I bet that shut him up**_**," **Kuro stated from my left. Cross just shook his head and disapproved on my right. Whether it was directed toward me or his opposite it was hard to tell.

Eclipse growled and turned away from me. If he didn't throw so many nasty insults in my face I wouldn't feel the need to reciprocate them. Is it so hard to show at least a little effort in trying to cooperate?

"I had something in mind Tasuyai but before we try it there are some rules I want you to be aware of while we have this," he lifted his right hand with the cuff on it giving it a look in disgust.

"Rules?"

**"**_**Here we go..."**_ I couldn't agree more with his state of mind.

"The length of this chain is about one meter which means you will not come within half a meter of my personal space." He points to the chain. "Second of all, I refuse to be in any physical contact with you from this point on as who knows what kinds of diseases you may have picked up from being unclean-"

I couldn't help but pinch the bridge of my nose. "I'm a Black Arm just like-"

"NO! You are not a Black Arm you're an abomination and don't you dare try to argue otherwise!" He bares his fangs at me the mere thought of thinking of me as being anything related to him seeming to rekindle the flames of his hatred towards me even more.

I gave him a glare that only I could give. Does he honestly think I' ll adhere to his demands like some scared animal. I'd eat my own quills before I'd take orders from him.

"And thirdly you will not under any circumstance utter my name from that filthy mouth of yours! Are we clear?" He looked me in the eye amber orbs glowing darkly.

"Sure we are, Eclipse," I said touching his shoulder and smirking knowing I did exactly what he just said he didn't want me to do. If we have to suffer the company of each other in such close proximity for who knows how long I'm at least going make the most out of it. My only regret is that I didn't have the opportunity to annoy the hell out of faker as payback for all the migraines he's given me but Eclipse will do just as fine.

* * *

Two black noses sniffed around over tons of fallen rock in a pit like hole where the temple had been. Ara, the double snare, had whined a bit as the dust made tracking the scent of her owner more difficult. Luckily she didn't have to sniff around any more as a groan and the grating of some heavy rocks being moved around caught her attention. The hunter had stood trying to get his bearing as he rubbed his bruised side. The hat he wore was lying a few feet away under rock and he grabbed it brushing dirt and pebbles off before placing it back on his head. Ara happily yipped and ran to him wagging her tail and grinning.

"What's yer problem? Did ya think I kick'd the bucket ya mangy mutt you?"

The wolf like animal barked and the hunter just "humphed". He was so close to getting what he wanted, only for it slip out of his hands. He was far from giving up however, and this minor setback would only serve to increase his motivation to catch his prey. After all he didn't come out this situation completely empty handed.

He took out the cracked emerald that those two Black Arms had made such a fuss about and held it up higher in order to catch a bit of light coming from the setting sun.

"Hey now, this ain't such a bad beauty but why'd those runts want it so much they'd 'isk their 'ives for it?" He saw a bit of energy spark from the gem which seemed to fascinate him to an extent and decided that he would look at it more closely later. But first he wanted to see if the tracker in the shackles he installed is working so he could finish the hunt.

* * *

Shadow

For the sake of both our sanity, I was walking behind Eclipse and keeping my distance. We had discussed earlier that there was a deposit of crystal, useful for draining energy like the type fueling the energy link in shackles. Unfortunately it was much too far for us to cover in just a day or two even if we ran. Apparently we would have to trek through miles of swamp land before we could even get halfway there. _Oh goodie. _

Besides the fact that we would have to deal with even more viscous wildlife tomorrow, I couldn't get the memory of what happened in the temple out of my head. Who were the voices in that underground passage and why did they sound so angry with me? The only important Black Arms I had killed were Black Doom and Black Death. Could those spirits have been seeking retribution for their deaths. Something told me that that couldn't be the case and then there's this curse. I'm not the type to be supernatural, since I was raised by scientists who always stressed the science and logic behind every concept you could think of but it doesn't make the experience any less real.

"_**Something's different about us...**_" Cross spoke catching me a bit off guard. He looked ahead floating beside me until he faced me with a serious expression. It was a bit off putting to stare into a pair of eyes like mine but I was far too interested in what he said to care.

_Different how?_

He shook his head and faced away from me silent a moment before speaking again. "_**It's too early to tell but something has changed.**_" His words unsettled me as I know it probably has to do with what happened before.

"This spot will do nicely for a resting place," I heard the vermilion alien say breaking me from my current train of thought. He had stopped in front of a tree with several low hanging branches. As he sat against its trunk he leaned against it peering up at the night sky. On a whim I found several dried branches laying around and began placing them around Eclipse and the tree.

"What in the world are you doing Tasuyai?" His annoyance still present after a long day. I guess the noise I was making was getting on his nerves. _Doesn't his condescending attitude ever take a vacation?_

"What I'm doing is ensuring that no unwanted visitors come too close to us without a bit of warning." I said snapping a particularly long branch in half while giving him a pointed look. He gave a rather loud groan and turned on his side so that his back was facing me. I snapped a couple more branches until his patience began wane. His tail was flicking up and down and he seemed to flinch a little bit every time I made noise.

"Will you please cut out your unnecessary nonsense Tasuyai your beginning to annoy me." I heard him say but I wasn't about to let him have his peace just yet until I finished what I wanted to do.

-snap-

"Grrrrrrrr"

"Didn't you hear me-" -snap- "flea bag. I said-" -snap- "to stop." I stopped snapping twigs for a moment and let the silence hang for a bit.

Faker says I don't have a sense of humor but I beg to differ. He must be rubbing off for me to feel quite amused while doing this.

I took another fallen branch and this time snapped it over my knee as hard as I could.

… -snap-

"DAMN IT TASUYAI!-" he began cursing in what I can only guess is the language of the Black Arms and tried to keep a snicker from being audible. I turned away as his string of insults continued a little less loudly and barely noticed my miniatures floating beside me.

"**You dick..." **Kuro said snickering as the aliens curses began to wane off.

"**Well it was the highlight of the day." **Cross said, "**But he'll probably be livid with us tomorrow if not equally determined to do something nasty to us in return."**

_Probably but it was still worth it after all the things I've had to deal with because of him._

After seeing that there were a considerable amount of dried branches around us I sat on the opposite side of the tree that Eclipse was lying against (finally silent now) careful to make sure the energy link chaining us together wouldn't pull the other when I moved.

As I drifted off to sleep I thought about the bounty hunter and what his chances were that he survived that ordeal. He seems like he's been on many tough hunts which means he might continue to persist until he dies. _What a pain… _Strangely though I couldn't help but wonder what that annoying blue pest and his friends are doing right now, confronting the doctor again most likely. GUN will have probably sent Rouge, Omega, or any other elite forces to search for me by now since I was supposed to have technically called in on my progress a couple times before now.

As strange as my thoughts were at the moment I couldn't help but wonder if anyone would really care if I never returned? It was something that always bothered me before even if I didn't show it, that maybe everyone's lives would be better off without me. I sighed and looked at the sky of this planet full of many stars that made for a very pretty sight. I figured I should learn to take one problem at a time.

The problem is which one should I address first?

_I'll answer that question tomorrow._

* * *

**I guess this ending to this chapter is alright. I didn't want it be too short and I apologize for mistakes. Anyways I'll see y'all later.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter: 8

Shadow

The stench from the swamp was almost unbearable and the heat seemed to only heighten it further. I held my unshackled wrist to my nose to try and block out the worst of it, but it wasn't helping much. I don't think my sensitivity to smells is normally this strong, but it would be hard to make a comparison by asking Eclipse seeing as how different we are. Either the smells don't affect him at all or he's better at hiding his discomfort than I am. A very muddled and dim light shined through the crooked branches that hung above us like creeping claws and much of the ground was muddy and soaked with water. It's fortunate that we haven't stepped into any quicksand.

I heard the alien growl in protest when he stepped in something that made a distinguishable squelching sound. "Now I remember my eagerness to leave and colonize another planet. These environments were far from being anything like the warm smooth rock that lined the Black Comet," he said for once his irritation being directed at something other than me for a change.

Trekking along in the humid swamp, we eventually stopped before an unusual river. Instead of having the appearance of a normal river, there was a darker color to the water making it look black and tar like. Untouched, it almost looked smooth and hard like it could be walked upon.

Eclipse seemed to look upon it with calculating eyes. "Is something wrong?" I asked in his silence.

"Navigating past this will be difficult," he said as he stared hard at the black surface of the river.

"Can't we just go around it?" I said frowning at his response knowing that it will most likely cost us precious time and energy.

"It's not that simple Tasuyai," he said seemingly annoyed like I'd said something absurd. "I've had to cross this 'river' a few times before and I'm very aware of its dangers. "He picked up a stone the size of his hand and threw it into the black water. It made a plopping sound and a few seconds later I realized why Eclipse seemed wary of the river.

Something big, brown, black and snake like broke the surface of the black water with its long body dipping in and out like it was searching for the thing that fell in. Something that looked like a forked tongue slipped out from above the surface before disappearing with the coils until it couldn't be seen anymore.

"To be completely honest it's not really a river. The substance in front of us isn't flowing. If anything it's more like a huge ditch where water, among other things that would turn the water black, simply drain into. It runs across the entire swamp so there's no way to go around it," he finished.

"Then how are we supposed to get across without pissing those things off."

"We take a higher route. Of course it would be so much easier if we didn't have this on." He gestured to the shackle on his wrist. I looked up to the mess of vines hanging across branches that were either extremely thin or broken. It didn't look like the safest route but what choice do we have.

"Fine let's just get this over with." We approached the nearest tree and Eclipse began digging sharp claws into the bark. I glared at the tree a few moments before following his lead. Twenty feet up I lost my grip on one the branches when it snapped off forcing me to clutch on to the rough bark. As my fingernails dug in before I really fell, I could feel the part of my gloves protecting my fingers rip. When I was no longer falling, I heard a snarl from the alien above me. I could only guess he was irritated that I almost pulled him down with me.

When we heard movement down below us, we looked down to see that the part of the branch that had snapped had fallen into the black waters, stirring movement of the snake like creature a bit.

"Try not to slip this time Tasuyai," the vermillion alien said climbing to stand on one of the sturdier branches as I stood beside him. If it weren't for the fact that we're shackled together I would have shoved him off the branch by now but of course that wasn't an option so I just glared and focused on keeping my balance.

Reaching a gap between the limbs of two trees, my alien counterpart leapt from one branch to another before shaking a nearby vine to test its strength. As I followed his lead, several small pieces of foliage dropped down to the bottom. We froze as the creature down below seemed to stir again only to be met with silence. Thinking we were safe, I let myself hang down on one of the branches preparing to grip a nearby vine when something shot out the water below to snap at several branches near us. Shocked by the sudden movement and jostling of the trees we decided it would be wiser to hasten our movement. The large snake like creature seemingly dissatisfied that it didn't catch one of us, tried to snap at us again this time catching one of the many hanging vines. While it still didn't snag us out of the trees, it did pull the vine Eclipse happened to be clutching onto.

With the path ahead of us ruined, he hung on to one of the ripped vines, his weight pulling on my left wrist as the distance between us widened. I groaned as his weight painfully pulled on my shoulder but still kept the presence of mind to try and grip a branch rather than the weaker greenery. He seemed dumbfounded for a second at the precarious situation he was in.

"Swing you idiot! Swing to a branch before you dislocate my shoulder!" I shouted annoyed that he let himself hang there like bait over a tank of piranhas. More than anything I believe the word 'idiot' caught his attention because he began swinging so he could get close enough to sink his claws into the nearest tree.

I hung on tightly with my unshackled hand, gripping the branch so tightly I felt the blood flow to my hand was constricting. Unfortunately by the time the red and black alien was a claw away from finding purchase on the bark of a tree, the huge snake had chosen the perfect moment to leap up and strike. I only had a moment to react before I saw my alien counterpart disappear behind the maws of the beast and the force caused the branch I was holding on to to snap off.

I yelled but the sound of my voice was soon cut off by the murky water I made contact with. I held my breath as I saw the creature swim down further into the darkness, pulling me along with it. As I grabbed on to its scaly hide I saw clouds of something dark red form around its mouth as it opened and closed its maws. As it flailed slightly curling in on itself I caught a glimpse of a transformed Eclipse keeping the maws from closing on him in a struggle of brute strength.

While he struggled, I looked at my surroundings constantly aware of my dwindling air supply. I saw a large root probably from one the trees above coming out of the ground and digging back into it. I managed to swim down far enough to go through it and use the shackle as leverage to try and pull the vermillion alien away from the snake like creature. Had I been on land this strategy might have been much more useful but under the water I couldn't muster the strength. Just before I lost my breath, the thick tail of the water serpent hit me across the chest knocking the bit of breath I had been holding onto out instantly.

Water rushed into into my lungs and my consciousness began to flow out. And then the darkness set in…

* * *

Eclipse

I could hardly register the tugging at my wrist, as precious energy was expended to try and maintain my transformation. I saw that the hybrid had lost consciousness, which means that if I don't do something quick we're screwed. Every second I spent trying to keep the serpent's mouth open, the more irritated it seemed to become. It began swinging its head back and forth under the water causing the sediment that collected on the surface of the river floor to create a cloud around us. I dug my claws into the roof of its mouth again hoping that the pain would persuade it to let go of me, but its stubborn instincts refused to do so and blood leaked into the dirty water around us. As our stalemate continued, I flinched as something like a shock of electricity went through my mind. I barely managed to resist the urge to open my mouth and breath in water.

Is that the hybrid? I thought perplexed at the small silhouette I saw swimming in my direction. I gave it a closer look to realize that this form did belong to him but the pair of yellow irises contrasting with the black of his eyes did not. I'm not entirely sure what was going on inside his mind but it wasn't normal and neither were the row of large sharp teeth that he possessed at the moment either. He fearlessly swam up to the creature like some kind of predator and sunk a pair of maws of his own into the snout of the serpent. The amount of blood that spewed out into the space around us was ridiculously large as the creature opened its large maws allowing me to finally escape the struggle. Despite me being free, that didn't seem to stop the black hedgehog. If anything, he seemed to increase his bite pressure, the constant flow of blood seeming to encourage him more. The pain seemed to be more than the serpent could handle as it ran itself into a frenzy and began approaching the surface.

Only when it broke the surface did the hybrid let go of the monster, flinging both of us towards the other side of the river. The two of us began to splutter water as I released my transformation. The coughing went on for a few minutes and soon the silence was filled with the sounds of the swamp once more.

"What happened to you Tasuyai?" I asked no longer feeling the presence of something strange in his mind. He didn't respond for awhile so I pressed him again. "Did you lose your mind or something when you took a chunk out of that creature?"

"What are you talking about?" he answered. I don't believe this! He doesn't remember what just happened a few minutes ago.

"Don't play dumb with me rodent. You attacked the serpent like a mindless animal!"

* * *

Shadow

What?! But I don't remember anything like that happening to me.

**"Don't listen to this fools mindless dribble. You're alive aren't you? That's all that matters right now,"** the black winged Kuro said while I was still bent down on my hands and knees. There was something suspicious about his voice. But the taste of blood in my mouth was much more distracting.

**"I find it hard to believe that his dribble isn't worth listening too when he's the only one who was awake to see what happened,"** Cross retorted giving his twin a rather cold look. Kuro looked like he wanted to kill his white winged counterpart.

**"Look here,"** he said coming closer to me. **"Whatever you did to get away from that serpent worked. Do we really need to spend time on the details?"**

**"Why are you so quick to dismiss this?**" Cross asked.

**"It's a waste of time to dawdle about how we survived when we're still not too far from danger,"** he replied.

**"Listen to Eclipse!"**

**"Ignore him!"**

Will the two of you just SHUT UP!

I felt the biggest migraine coming on and I didn't want to listen to anyone's bullshit right now. And as for Eclipse...

"Didn't Black Death tell you it's not nice to tell stories?" I said in a mocking tone like I was scolding a child for misbehaving.

"WHAT?!" he said with a bit of a growl in his voice. "How dare you call me a liar you dirty mongrel!" he rose to stand up just as I did. Kuro smirked, obviously amused at the others reaction while Cross simply frowned.

"I'll- I'll-" he started growing more flustered every second.

"Save it for someone who cares. Your voice is beginning to grate on my ears," I finished already walking away from him. He then promptly began to curse in another language but I tuned him out already. There's just no way I'd lose my composure in such a way that would make me behave like a wild animal.

Eventually Eclipse's curses began to tone down and silence covered us as the sun began to set on this planet again. The dimming light seemed to make the swamp look even more sinister than when we began. According to the black alien, the black river roughly marks the halfway point of the swamp meaning that by the end of tomorrow we should be leaving it behind.

Since we were walking in the same direction for quite some time, I had taken to walking in front of my alien counterpart that is until a loud growl promptly made me turn to look at him.

"What are you looking at Tasuyai?" he said with a tone that seemed more viscous than necessary especially since I hadn't even uttered a single word. When I heard it again, I saw Eclipse break eye contact with me quickly as if the thought of looking at me at this moment was the last thing he wanted to do. I caught on quickly and turned back around to silently chuckle to myself.

"It's not funny damn it!" he yelled as his dignity and pride seemed to slip away from him. Unfortunately my amusement didn't last long because I realized just how famished I was myself. It seems that these past few days had taken it out of both us. If the vermilion alien was anything like me, then the lack of chaos on this planet was most likely just as tiring for him as it was for me.

"Is there anything that can foraged in this swamp?" I asked looking into his amber eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the nearing darkness. He seemed to catch sight of something behind me to focus on it. He was looking at a patch of thorns that looked eerily similar to the ones I've seen before on both Black Comets.

"Where there are thorns there are usually fruit, at least this holds true for the plant life that the Black Arms grew," he said seeming to follow the dangerously pointy brush while I followed behind. I wasn't particularly thrilled at the thought of eating the fruit since they grow by draining the life of other living things around it, but starving to death was not an option.

With black thorns surrounding us from every side, I was beginning to think that Eclipse's assumption was becoming more far fetched every second until we reached a hole in the ground to which some of the thorns lead into. The black roots had thorns large enough that they could be used as a makeshift ladder if careful.

"Eclipse..."

"I know what you're thinking half breed and I don't care. After dealing with giant flying reptiles, a bounty hunter and nearly being eaten by a large serpent I'll take my chances and take a bite out of the next thing that tries to eat me," he said moving to start making his way down.

I just sighed and began climbing down after him not having much choice being shackled together. As we carefully went down deeper, it became darker and darker. Luckily, as we approached the bottom, a green glow started become brighter and brighter. By the time we reached solid ground, it was bright enough that we could see the walls of the cave we had reached the entrance to.

"I've never been down here before..." Eclipse said with genuine curiosity. The green glow seemed to be coming from a fluorescent moss growing on the walls. As we walked deeper inside, it seemed we had entered a cavern of some sort. In the center was a small body of water like a miniature pond and above it were the thorns we had seen from outside, twisting around each other and piercing the water's surface.

"What?" I said hearing a faint gasp at my side. Eclipse was staring down at something near one of the naturally made columns around the pond. It looked like the husk of some dried egg-like pod and there were three more just like it. Something just didn't feel right about them and just as that thought crossed my mind, something fast moved just outside the light.

"Come out wherever you are!" I said ready for a fight. When I heard something move a few pebbles behind me I tensed and my alien counterpart did too, but at the moment for a different reason. The next time I saw something move, I rushed to try to catch it only to be harshly yanked back by my left wrist and pulled to the floor.

"What the hell?!" I yelled giving the amber eyed alien a nasty look. Strangely enough instead of responding to my disrespectful tone, he ignored me before slowly walking to one of the larger rocks something could hide behind.

I found his behavior so peculiar that I watched dumbfounded as he quickly scooped up something behind the rock in his arms in an odd display of affection. "I can't believe it! You're alive even after all this time alone!"

* * *

Eclipse

I don't think I have ever been this happy since being created in my entire life. In my arms I held the last remnants of the Black Arms besides the hybrid and I: a Dark Arm. One of the Black Arm/Wisp hybrids that I created so long ago survived and hatched. The one I was holding in particular looked similar to a black hawk with three black slitted eyes tinted red and small wings. Even though it could not speak, I could feel through the mental link I shared with it that it was just as happy to see me as I was it. As a matter of fact I could sense the other three hiding somewhere in the cavern and beckoned them out with the mental equivalent of calling a small animal out of hiding.

The other three Dark Arms came out of hiding fairly quickly coming to crowd around me. And how did the hybrid react to this? He seemed rather torn between surprise and shock. I made a mental note to pick his mind later to make sure he doesn't get any ideas about killing the Dark Arms. (And to find out about what happened earlier.)

"What are those things?" the half breed inclined seemingly curious but also wary. I looked at the other three dark creatures, one looked like a horned snake, another looking oddly like a cube, and the last one was round and ball like. "They are a new species that I created using Black Arm genes and the genes of an alien species called Wisps," I said bending down to pet the others who seemed desperate for attention. They were originally going to be an...experiment of mine to strengthen our armies but now that the others are gone…" I didn't want to go there. Although I would have treated these creatures much like my brothers and sisters, the thought of calling them an experiment pains me because now they are all I have left.

After letting go of the Dark Arm I was holding, I came to a decision. "We're staying here for the night." I said glancing at the hybrid who had taken to carefully observing my interaction with the smaller alien species.

"And what makes you think this is good idea?" he frowned at me.

"These creatures didn't just hatch yesterday. In order for them to survive they must have been living off some kind of food source and judging from the creeping thorns I think I know where to find it. Besides there's water here too, it's perfect." The hybrid seemed reluctant to stay. I'd be lying if I said the unnerved look on his face from seeing the Dark Arms didn't please me. It's almost humorous really. Though they share the blood of the Black Arms they could never truly pose a threat anyone on their own.

"What's the matter Tasuyai? Afraid I'll let them kill you in your sleep?" I sneered enjoying the angry expression that made its way on his face.

"The only reason I'm going along with this is because there's not a better option, however keep those things as far away from me as possible unless you want them to end up somewhere dead," his threat hung in the air like a looming cloud of poisonous gas and I resisted the urge to slit the throat of the traitorous wretch right where he stood.

"Just so we're clear if you lay a filthy hand on any of my Dark Arms, I'll shred your mind to pieces while you sleep and make you hallucinate until you smear your own brains against the wall from insanity."

"Hmph." He turned away from me signalling the end of the conversation. My threat didn't seem to intimidate as much as I would have liked but neither did his.

* * *

**Roxa out.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yo! Roxa814 here and recently I had taken a look at a fan made game called Sonic Before the Sequel. Is actually quite amazing especially the music. Anyway something is supposed to be announced at the Sonic Anniversary party and I hear Madeon is going to be making music for the next Sonic game trailer. If you don't know who Madeon is I suggest you look it up. Aaron Webber and some other people made a some kind of cryptic message involving Madeon. I've listened to his music I certainly like it. Of course I'd still want Crush40 music in the game.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 9

Eclipse

Just as I had thought before, there was a source of food that the Dark Arms had been feeding off of. It didn't take us long to find one of the huge pods containing palm sized fruit that resemble overgrown berries. The hybrid was currently laying on his side facing away from me, the distance from me only constrained by the shackles that chained us together. It didn't take long for him to turn away from the alien berries that the youngest of my kind are used to eating to grow strong. However, hunger was the reason we were driven down here and I suspect that when I wasn't looking he eventually gave in to eating the fruit. At the moment he was quiet and I couldn't care less about what might be going through his mind. I was far too preoccupied with other things.

"Chew it this time Blurk."

"Cregal! Cyzer! Knock it off! There is plenty to go around!"

"You're the good one Rhygenta. You're much more well behaved than the others."

I heard a distinct snort from beside me but pretended not to notice as I fed the small creatures fruit. "How long do you intend on keeping this up?" he said suddenly, still facing away from me on his side.

"What?" I answered distractedly only giving him half my attention.

"You know what I'm talking about alien, this charade of playing daddy to the little monsters you created," he said. There was a bit of a pause before he spoke again. "You know we can't keep them," the hybrid said in a low tone of voice. I could practically feel his crimson eyes boring into my back intensely.

"I'm not going to leave them here if that's what you think," I responded evenly.

"Have you forgotten about the bounty hunter already, the main reason why we're chained together after our attempt to repair the emerald and leave this planet failed?" he said as I heard him shift behind me probably to sit up. My grip on the fruit I was holding tightened and my claws dug into its outer skin harshly causing some of the juices to leak out. "Of course I haven't forgotten about that wretched hunter," I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "But I told you I refuse to abandon them."

"So you'll burden us with even more problems just because you choose now to have sympathy for the pets you created?! I don't think you understand our situation Eclipse. We're in no position to take care of those things. We were barely able to escape that serpent earlier when it was just the two of us we had to worry about."

"Oh? You didn't seem to want to leave Maria behind 50 years ago on the ark, when those human soldiers we're coming to end your life. That weak human was a huge liability but you seemed to be ready to risk your life just to protect hers." The air in the room felt like it dropped a few degrees and I turned to sneer devilishly at the fuming hybrid. "Oh yes Tasuyai, I know all about your experience aboard the ark ever since I tried to take control of your mind aboard the second Black Comet. Your emotions, your thoughts, your _resolve_ when you were prepared to die. It was almost as if I witnessed the event first hand through your eyes!" my voice began to rise in pitch.

"How dare you bring Maria into this. I had already decided to leave the past behind me but you seem adamant on digging up things that are none of your business to use against me." He stood up abruptly and I sensed confrontation peeking over the horizon. The Dark Arms seemed to notice the change in atmosphere and had stopped chewing to stare fearfully at both I and the half-breed, but who they were more fearful of I'm not sure.

"I will make it my business if it means getting through your thick skull that these Dark Arms are the only family I have left! I refuse to let you unfairly rob me of what little I have and I absolutely will not allow you to unfairly leave them behind when they barely know how to survive on their own!" At this point I was on my feet too looking fearlessly into crimson eyes.

"Don't talk to me about fair you little demon when the moment I was created my life had already been decided on how it would be used without any input from myself. And further more you have no right to to talk about fairness when your race robbed millions of others of their lives without consent for your own well being," he retorted his crimson eyes dialing down to an almost yellow-orange color as he spoke. I wasn't in the mood to comment about it right now.

"Well tough! I honestly couldn't care less about your past. And as for your ridiculous argument concerning our harvest, I regret _nothing_ fair or not." I turned away from him after sensing the level of fear rising from the Dark Arms.

"Don't turn your back on me and act like this argument is over!" he said grabbing my shoulder.

"Remove your filthy paw from me half-breed!" I growled lowly without turning around. There was silence for a moment and I could almost swear that I felt that spark of what felt like electricity going through my mind again but as quickly as it came, it left and the other had slowly removed his hand from shoulder.

Turned away from him I could easily see the faces of Rhygenta, Cyzer, Cregal and Blurk who seemed to relax a bit more. Unfortunately I could still feel that crimson and slightly amber gaze still focused intensely behind me. Deciding to ignore it, I kneeled down to continue feeding the Dark Arms and my frustration slowly seemed to melt away. At this point the hybrid seemed to lay back on his side again and the only noises that permeated the air where the four small creatures who were finishing their meal.

"You're going to be the one who's responsible for those little monsters Eclipse..." I heard a low voice behind me.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I responded emotionlessly a bit curious why he suddenly just backed down instead of retaliating.

* * *

Back in a very familiar canyon fortress the hunter was enjoying a drink of what could probably be some kind of liquor. His brown coat had been tossed on the back of his chair and the only thing he was wearing were his pants and boots. The hat that he usually wore was hanging on a hook on the wall. Bandages had been applied to his waist and parts of his arms and every time he moved just a bit too vigorously, he would wince from the pain. He sat the metal bottle he was drinking out of down beside his console and popped his fingers as one of the ears of a sleeping Ara beside him flicked up.

The tracking device inside the energy cufflinks that he managed to tag the two Black Arms with was working well. Yesterday when he had arrived back home after nearly the entire temple crumbled atop him, he had immediately checked his monitors and eavesdropped on their conversation. When he heard they were going to search for a type of crystal he knew exactly where they would be headed: the volcanic dig site. He had already taken the time to mark the area on a large map on the wall adjacent to the one his console was on with a large beast fang.

"A' know exactly 'here yer going and why but yer not gonna get it," he said to himself. Before the civilizations that lived on this planet were enslaved and harvested, the inhabitants used to mine the hot spots in which magma had flowed relatively close to the surface. The area is strange there in that it didn't really have a volcano but rather it was more comparable to a lid placed on top of a pot of boiling water except with holes, lots and lots of holes. Minerals such as cryolite, golden rutile, quartz and sardonyx were considered valuable materials for various reasons and there was one type of crystal that was arguably as the most valuable of all.

The hunter walked away from his console with many screens and reached for a book off a shelf behind him. The cover was beige, worn, and on it was a title written in strange curvy script.

He flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"_Among all the crystals, it was pure quartz that was considered _

_the most valuable because its strange properties to absorb light. _

_Early civilizations often witnessed strange phenomena when _

_chunks of pure quartz exposed to sunlight for long periods _

_of time continued to radiate light and heat long after the sun set..."_

It was simple. They were planning on searching the volcanic digs for pure quartz.

"'hat reminds me." He went back over to his console where he opened a drawer and took out a black box. He reached into his jacket pocket for the key and opened it to reveal the one gem he couldn't quite figure out. He held it in the palm of his hand admiring the otherworldly green glow and the small slim crack running the length of the gem. Every now and then it seemed to spark a bit like an electronic device that short circuited but the hunter could just feel the energy emanating from it. It was was more than just some mineral, it was _special._

And then he grinned remembering how the two scrawny Black Arms had wrestled each other for it. '_Might make for some pretty temptin' bait, _he thought.

A few moments later he returned to the tracking device and began eavesdropping for more dialogue from his unsuspecting prey...

"_...How long do you intend on keeping this up?"_

"_What?"_

"_You know what I'm talking about alien, this charade of playing daddy to the little monsters you created."_

"Monsters?" he questioned sitting back in his chair.

"_You know we can't keep them."_

"_I'm not going to leave them here if that's what you think." _

"_Have you forgotten about the bounty hunter already, the main reason why we're chained together after our attempt to repair the emerald and leave this planet failed?"_

Now that sounded interesting. Not only did it confirm that the emerald was important but apparently they could use it to leave this planet. Just what kind of powers did the emerald hold that he didn't know about? And furthermore was the large green glowing sphere of energy he saw in the temple also just as important or at least _was_ important. The cogs in the mind of the bounty hunter were definitely turning now. He would have to look more into this and perhaps even go as far as to examine his prey more closely himself.

"_Of course I haven't forgotten about that wretched hunter. But I told you I refuse to abandon them."_

"_So you'll burden us with even more problems just because you choose now to have sympathy for the pets you created?! I don't think you understand our situation Eclipse. We're in no position to take care of those things. We were barely able to escape that serpent earlier when it was just the two of us we had to worry about."_

The albino furred hunter also made a mental note to see exactly what these monsters the two seemed to be arguing about are. A hostage can make things so much easier. He continued to filter through the argument for more information.

" _...if it means getting through your thick skull that these Dark Arms are the only family I have left!" _

"Oh so 'hats what 'here called eh?" he said pleased by this tidbit of info even if it wasn't much. It had looked to have been quite a resourceful day for the hunter who had failed to capture his quarry yesterday. He knew where they were going, he knew what they were looking for, he knows they want the emerald, and with the way he observed their personalities in action he knew those pretty little bracelets on their wrists would make catching them even easier.

"A' think it's 'bout time we wrap up this chase." Tomorrow he would be more than prepared to capture the duo.

* * *

Eclipse

I had waited until all four of the Dark Arms were finally asleep. They had all huddled together near me in a tight bunch. Blurk and Rhygenta were both side by side while Cregal had decided to wrap its long body around the other two. Cyzer was sleeping on top of Blurk and Rhygenta. The sight was enough to bring me some happiness that I thought I would never get to feel again. All I could do was smile as I saw the subtle movements of their small bodies twitching in their slumber. They meant the world to me now and I would kill anyone who threatened to harm them even...Shadow.

Just thinking about the hedgehog that had made my life so miserable these past few days was enough to bring a frown to my face. I looked over my shoulder to the object of my discontent with discerning eyes and easily recognized the slow, even breathing that meant he was in a deep sleep as well. The fire that we had lit earlier was dying out, but the embers from the still flaring wood provided more than enough light for me to make out his figure.

On a whim I slowly stood up and walked quietly over to him, minding the length of the energy chain. Like a predator, I crept around to the side he was facing to stare down at the half-breed who hadn't stirred at all.

I thought back to that moment when we were ambushed by that monstrous plant in the mud. I saved him back then because I didn't want to be alone and I grit my teeth at this acknowledgement. Even if I hadn't found the Dark Arms, this abomination is the last Black Arm I would want to be in the company of after all that he did. I felt a bit of blood run down from the edge my mouth from gritting my teeth even harder.

_Why am I so angry about saving him?! _I asked myself clenching my fist as well to keep from thrashing around and waking up the hybrid but I already knew the answer.

I thought back to the days when my Master and brothers were still alive and I realize that I had taken for granted something that seemed so ordinary: _our bonds. _I had been so used to it, being able to feel and hear the voices of my brothers no matter where I was. I had taken comfort in being aware of their presence as the many connections I had ensured that I would never feel alone. I could always dispel my fears or doubts by riding on the strength, confidence ,and vitality of others.

_But now_…

There was silence, so much more than what I had been used to. The ambient quiet of my mind had terrified me, reaching out with my connection and grasping emptiness only increased my fear. It was in that moment when the hybrid was close to death that I snapped and acted on pure instinct alone. I needed another mind, another _presence_ to hold on to. I needed someone to fill the silence so it wouldn't feel so...empty and now I was angry at myself for acting like a child that need to be consoled.

…

…_I_

_I could dispose of him now…_ My thoughts were beginning to take a trek down a dark path. Now that I had the Dark Arms I no longer needed the hybrid. (Not that I relied on his presence to feel strong anyway.) Now that I discovered that the Dark Arms are alive I could have a chance. I could raise them to be strong and possibly create more. I could rebuild our fallen race anew and after I kill hybrid, no one would be able to contest me. At the very least Shadow himself would never be a thorn in my side again.

I kneeled down taking in the expression on his face. Despite his unconscious state of mind, it still seemed as if the scowl he wore throughout the day was still present as he slept. It would be quick, so quick that he wouldn't have a chance to retaliate until it was too late. I let my long tail curl around over my arm before looking again at the hybrid. I focused the chaos in my body to the tip of my tail, willing the scales there to be sharper and harder.

This is it.

I pointed the sharpened end of my tail towards a spot on the hybrids chest. I could imagine it now, piercing him through his body and right through his heart. It would only take mere moments for him to die. The sharpened appendage was poised to strike but no matter how long I stayed in that position...I couldn't do it.

_Whats wrong with me? He killed my entire race, he slaughtered my master, he tried to kill me and he even threatened the Dark Arms. Why can't I kill him?_

I stayed there scowling over him until I realized it was pointless. I sighed and took my tail away from him. I was about to get up and finally sleep myself until what sounded like a pained groan came from the half-breed. I looked at his face to see that his expression seemed to be scrunched up in pain. I couldn't care less about what haunts my master's murder's dreams. In fact I would hope that whatever he dreams about makes him writhe as payback for his actions. However, there was something else that was nagging me at the moment.

Earlier when the rodent was arguing with me his eyes had begun to change colors and back at the river when fighting the serpent his eyes had changed completely to yellow, just like mine. If the argument had continued, would I have seen that same savage behaviour as last time? _Well I could try to find out right now couldn't I? It's time I picked your brain for an answer._

I sat back and crossed my legs before carefully placing a taloned hand on his forehead beginning to concentrate. His mind opened easily to me like book since he was not conscious to fight against the intrusion. Images of recent memories came through first: our encounter with the bounty hunter, our arrival on this planet, and then memories of what I could only guess were of his interactions on his planet. Then I saw the battle against Black Doom through his eyes and the killing of so many other Black Arms. I shivered whenever he brutally managed to end the life of one of our own and anger flared within me again. It was pushed aside with surprise when I caught a glimpse of the half-breed flying beside another golden rodent. _There was another with the same power?_

I could only ponder on this piece of information for a moment before I felt myself drifting into the deeper parts of Shadow's mind. At this point I felt my own my mind materializing inside his own. I opened my amber eyes and looked around and recognizing the place of Shadow's childhood and creation: the Ark.

Although I am able to feel the emotion or presence of other Black Arms this was the first time I had experience being inside a type of mindscape. There was just never any need for it because the minds of most of my brothers were just too simple for it. I looked to my left to see a huge window and outside was Mobius or Earth as the humans seem to call it. I stared at the planet with a blank expression on my face. Some of Shadows emotions were writhing under the surface of this memory. It was strange. Although my image is nothing but a representation of my mind inside a representation of a memory, the emotions the other feels seem to seep into me as if I were apart of the memory. I didn't know how to feel at the moment so I simply started moving forward.

It was quiet for a memory. I was sure that the last time I entered the half-breeds mind I saw that blonde human, Shadow's creator, and at least other memories of humans in white clothing but instead it was eerily quiet. I walked down corridors giving glances at empty rooms expecting some kind of movement or something but there was nothing. And that's when I stumbled upon _it._

Something black was writhing around the corner of the corridor in front of me. Something black that smelled of blood was splattered against the floor and corner. Somehow I knew that it knew I was here and it retreated as if baiting me to come near and inspect it closer. So I did.

Nothing could have prepared me for what was waiting around the corner. The floor suddenly sloped into a pool of thick black liquid similar to the one in the swamp but a with whole lot more of a sinister edge to it. If the black liquid wasn't splattered against the walls then it was oozing in trails and dripping down from the ceiling. And in the center of it all was the half-breed standing waist deep in the black pool. His head was tilted down so I couldn't make out his face but he was gloveless, wrists restrained by scarlet red chains that hoisted his arms above beside his head. He was limp in their hold and it seems he didn't notice my approach at all.

_What is this? _I asked myself torn between just leaving his mind now and calling out to him to see what would happen next. I took one step forward and his head shot up. I froze on the spot not sure what would happen next but I decided to hold that crimson gaze. It was so different from the one I was used to seeing during the day. Instead of a condescending scowl igniting the flames in those scarlet eyes, they were dull like they had been doused with water. His face was full of pleading, fear, and...helplessness and the chains on his wrists only seemed to complement this pitiful state. He opened his mouth to say something but the chains that hung above his head had slid down under the black pool in a bazar motion. The hybrid looked frantically beside him as the chains seemed to tug his arms down with him. In his panic he reached out a hand towards me with that same pleading emotion on his face. He reached with all he had and fell to the ground, chains still trying to drag him away. I stepped backward not wanting to be touched by that oozing blackness and slipped falling on my tail. Shadow was right in front of me still trying to reach for me but I was just too horrified by the circumstances. His hand was covered in the oozing liquid dripping within just centimeters of my foot. His mouth moved but there was no sound.

DON'T LEAVE ME!

I could no longer stand to be in this place any longer so I ran. I ran like a coward and left this horrible image of the abomination behind. And even after all the hatred I harbored towards my master's murderer, I couldn't find the strength to look back at that pleading, fearful face because deep down apart of me felt like I was leaving a brother behind to die.

I removed my hand from the hybrids forehead breathing just a bit more heavily than before I started. I was unnerved. I'm not sure what it is I found inside the hybrids mind and something tells me I don't want to find out.

I took a much needed breath to calm my nerves and stood to take my place near the Dark Arms again. _Something is wrong with Shadow and I have a feeling it's going to get worse. Tomorrow I will question him about it but for now I should rest. _I took one last look at the hybrid before closing my own eyes. I didn't dream at all.

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**I realize this is the second time I've done something pretty dark in this fic. I honestly didn't think it would start becoming this dark when I first started writing it but I like how it's turning out so far. I have a twisted mind (Evil laugh!) I admit it, I love torturing Sonic and Shadow. Anyway Roxa814 out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yo! Hey guys back with another chapter. This one is a bit shorter but it's still important. Anyway I hadn't posted this chapter earlier because I was so busy spazzing over the new sonic announcements! Oh boy Sonic Mania and Project Sonic 2017 look hype! And I already see people starting stories based on project 2017 or Sonic Resistance or whatever you want to call it. Lets hope they're both good games so we can have some good material for future sonic fanfics 'kay!**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 9

Shadow

The moment I woke up my head felt strangely numb like I had been dosed with some kind of medicine. I couldn't remember what I dreamed of last night, but I didn't have to think too much about it. I noticed that Eclipse was already wide awake and so were his little creatures. He seemed rather transfixed with weaving one of the pods found from yesterday with some vines.

"What is that?" I inquired watching him carefully.

"It's a makeshift bag since the Dark Arms will be coming with us and I needed something to hold food in. I'm not sure what we might find outside the swamp or in the volcanic dig site but at least we can stock up on berries. If we ration them out it should last for a few days," he said tightening the last vine before filling the pod with as many berries as it could carry. I was slightly impressed that he could make something so resourceful, but only slightly.

When he held the temporary bag out to me, I gave him a questioning look.

"You're going to have to carry it Tasuyai," he said already becoming irritated by my lack of enthusiasm to obey nonverbal request. "Since I know you won't help carry any of the Dark Arms, I'm going to have my hands full. This is the _least _you can do to make this journey less stressful for the both of us."

"Fine," I didn't see the point of arguing and if his reasoning was to keep me away from his own abominations so be it. I took the pod and swung it over my back, the weight nothing I couldn't handle. He nodded to me satisfied and began gathering the four little creatures who happily chirped and jumped into his arms. I watched with disinterest as he carefully moved them into more comfortable positions: the snake like one wrapping around his neck, the cube shaped one latched to his shoulder, the round one held in one of his arms, and the bird like one floating right beside him.

We silently made our way back to the entrance of the underground tunnel and began our ascent climbing the thorny vines. It was much easier to do than last night now that the sun was out even with the thick trees of the swamp trying to mask the sky above us.

"The next stretch of land before we reach the volcanic dig site is completely open. I suggest we run most of the way to reduce the amount of time we spend without cover," the vermillion alien stated as we reached the top.

"Good. the faster we get there the better," I was a bit concerned about how much stamina a long run would take without the use of my hover skates. It's a bit embarrassing to think that by the time we reach our destination I'll be exhausted. It's another reason I'm glad that blue hedgehog isn't here. It would give him the perfect opportunity to mouth off to me about how slow I am without my skates.

* * *

The next few hours were spent in silence as we ran keeping pace with each other. Eclipse was very efficient at holding the Dark Arms while he ran. True to his resolve to take care of them earlier, he wasn't slowing us down. The sun however was another matter.

Now that we had left the swamp behind we were stuck running in the middle of a hot, barren, scorching plane. There was absolutely nothing that could be seen behind or in front us just some large rocks here and there. I skid to a stop when it felt like I would overheat and so did Eclipse. I wasn't worried about surviving the extreme temperatures but that didn't mean I couldn't tire out..

"We...should rest here," I said, voice shamefully coming out in pants.

Eclipse was panting too and the four creatures with him didn't look like they were enjoying the heat either. "I agree with you...for once...tasuyai...my little ones will not be able to take the heat much longer either."

I looked around for anything that could offer reprieve from the sun and found a rather large rock off to my right. It would provide plenty of shade for all of us. "There." I pointed it out and Eclipse the Dark Arms and I made our way to it grateful to be out of the unforgiving sun even if it was still hot.

"Tasuyai," the alien began after we had been sitting in the shade for a few moments.

"What?" I stared out into the red barren plane with my eyes closed. I would kill for some water right now.

"There's something that's been on my mind since yesterday and I need a straight answer from you." I glanced to my side to see his expression but he wasn't looking at me. His amber eyes were focused on petting the Dark Arms in his lap. He gently ran his taloned hand over the scales of each of them starting with the round one. I believe he called it Rhygenta?

I watched him for a moment and waited for his response, eventually my sight settled to watching a small six legged lizard skitter on top of a small rock. It raised its head and looked at me before skittering away quickly into the dirt.

"I questioned you yesterday about your behaviour in the river but you brushed it off and last night when we argued your eyes started change color. The first time it happened I felt a strange sensation through our link and when I actually entered your mind last night-"

"_You looked inside my mind while I slept?!_" I asked angrily. I've been aware of the threat of his little mind games but it still pissed me off that he probably went poking through my private memories and secrets while I was unconscious.

"I believe I am more than justified in my actions hybrid considering you refused to tell me something that could be of importance. Afterall, I have other living beings who depend on me now and letting you keep a secret involving your barbaric behaviour could pose a threat to the little lives I protect now."

I growled and grit my teeth. I still don't know what he's talking about as far as what happened in the river and my eyes couldn't have changed color could they?

"_**It could have something to do with the change..." **_The voice of my white winged inner consciousness spoke to me for the first time in awhile. Cross was looking at me or rather I was looking at myself. His expression..err mine was blank. There was that strange feeling of looking at myself again. I knew Eclipse was waiting on an answer though so I regained my composure.

After taking a deep breath I decided that perhaps I should hear him out for a moment. I still had questions of my own that needed to be answered regarding the temple and now would be as good a time as any as we waited for the sun to set and the temperature to cool off. "I don't remember what happened at the river and that is an honest statement. The last thing I remember was using the chain on our cuffs to try and drag you away from the serpent. After that I'm on the other side of the river talking to you."

The amber eyed alien seemed to contemplate that bit of information for a moment before responding. "Well to summarize what you don't seem to remember you weren't acting normal. First of all your eyes were as yellow as mine are and second you bit the serpent so ferociously that it flailed out of the water in pain."

I knew he said I acted bizarre but to outright attack by biting like some kind of wild animal. It was still very unbelievable but trying to argue about it wouldn't help.

"Are you sure that's what you saw," needing to confirm the events with the only witness I have.

"Yes, it was unlike anything I had ever seen."

Cross gave me a look then and I sighed. "_**Ask him about your dream," **_he said casting a weary glance towards the vermillion alien silently stroking the smooth scales of the horned snake like Dark Arm as it made satisfied noises.

"What about your...trip through my mind?"

The hand stroking the small dark arm stopped and the small creature cast its one eye towards Eclipse. I had the feeling it sensed a change in its caretakers mind and I felt like I could too.

"It wasn't pretty. I can tell you that much. You were chained inside your own mind reaching out to me for help as you were dragged deep into a dark liquid. It was unsettling," he finished eerily. It was the first time I ever heard Eclipse express being uneasy and the fact that it was inside my own mind bothered me even more. I looked down at my hands forgetting about hunger, thirst, and exhaustion for a moment seeing the ripped fabric that barely covered my palm anymore much less my fingers. Suddenly the thought of my inner self being torn to shreds just like my gloves and replaced by something else came to mind and I shuddered. Eclipse must have picked up on my anxiety because I saw him glance at me out of the corner of my eye. I could feel his amber eyes watch me with curiosity as I took off the remains of my gloves and threw them far away. They were worthless now anyway.

"Is there something you need to tell me hedgehog?" my alien counterpart pressed. He seemed eager to know what was going on and I couldn't blame him.

"There is actually. Back in the temple when we were both trying to escape the bounty hunter I stumbled upon some old underground ruins," I began picking up a rock near me not used to having nothing to do for such a long time. "There was a strange depiction of some huge creature sitting on a throne. I assumed he was some kind of Black Arm considering that amongst the other figures around him were Black Doom and Black Death."

"What?!" Eclipse had given me his full attention now. His expression was full of disbelief to my surprise. Did he know about the underground tunnel and what it holds?

"I want to see it," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me I want to look through your mind and see it through your eyes."

"No," I said indefinitely."I don't exactly trust you to just view the memory and nothing else."

My vermillion counterpart sighed, "Alright hybrid, just this once I swear on my heritage of a Black Arm that I will only enter your mind to view the memory in the temple and nothing else. No tricks and no deceit," he looked me in the eyes when he said it and despite everything that's happened between us there was part of me that believed he would keep his word.

"What do you want me to do?" I said still a bit doubtful about letting the being that once threatened to shred my mind apart while I slept access to my inner most memories.

"Just think back to that time in the temple and try to remember as many details as you can." I closed my eyes and let the images and sensations slowly recreate themselves, the most prevalent details being the disturbing depiction on the wall and the hoarse angry voices. I felt Eclipse place his hand on my head after moving closer to me. I was quickly able to recognize the prodding presence weaving itself deeper into my consciousness before the image of that underground chamber was reproduced vividly. And the voices…

* * *

Eclipse

Hoarse, raspy, voices seemed to echo throughout my whole mind threatening to smother my presence. I could feel the spike of fear and anger within my counterpart and honestly I became fearful as well. What were they talking about? A king? A traitor? A curse? It was nonsensical on so many levels and they kept going and going. Eventually I reached the part of the memory where the hybrid had closed his eyes and tried to cover his ears in frustration before the passage collapsed and he escaped.

When I finished looking through the memory I was left with more questions than whence I started. I couldn't even begin to explain what I had just witnessed through my counterparts eyes.

"Did you learn anything?" the hybrid asked as I was delving deeper into my thoughts. I almost didn't answer him at first.

"Unfortunately no. Whatever it was that you witnessed is completely wrong. Black Doom told all of his children that as a race we were born imperfect and that he took it upon himself to rebuild it in order to ensure our survival. He never mentioned that there were any other beings like him or a king."

"But Black Doom must have come from somewhere. Didn't he share with you, Black Death or any of the other Black Arms about where he originated from."

"No. Black Doom and my master told us that it wasn't important and that we should look towards the future rather than try and understand a complicated past," I responded.

"And you just accepted that instead of questioning it?" the hedgehog inquired.

I gave him a blank look before looking down at the sleeping Dark Arms watching Blurk and Cregal snoozing in my lap. I do remember questioning Black Doom's existence once and my master insisted in an indirect manner that it wasn't important as well. It seems like every moment after that if my mind started straying too close to that subject the thought and the urge to think about it would simply fade away. I didn't think much of it then because I thought my master would never influence my thoughts in such a way. How naive I was back then…

"I did question it but it seems the urge to persist in knowing was forcibly taken away from me. And I see now that Black Doom and my master did have something to hide. But it's hard to decipher exactly what that is from just your memory." The hedgehog seemed thoughtful after my response.

There wasn't much said after that, in fact we waited for the sun to set in silence and the hedgehog decided to take a nap since there wasn't much else to really do in the heat. After the sunset I was just on the verge of falling asleep myself when the hybrid sprung awake looking out into the distance.

"What is it?" I asked adrenaline allowing me to be on high alert again. The Dark Arms had also been woken up by my tense actions.

His mammal ears were turning from left to right in an effort to listen for something. There was a long pause before he answered. "There's a vehicle coming this way," he said getting to his feet.

"The hunter? He caught up to us already?!" The hunter's presence was the last thing we needed right now.

"This way," the hedgehog said urgently. Using the energy chain as a way to drag me in his desired direction. We sprinted a bit before jumping into a fairly deep trench we passed earlier. It was a rather convenient spot to take cover in. We both leaned against the dirt wall of the trench listening to the sound of a heavy vehicle making its way closer. I could feel Cregal, Cyzer, Blurk, and Rhygenta squirming in my arms. The stress and tension in my mind must be making them nervous. I took a deep breath realizing that my own heart was beating twice as hard. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. "_There, there, it's going to be alright. Nobody is going to harm you," _I told them mentally. I let my calm feelings flow into them and they settled down however we were still in danger. I wouldn't be able to protect the Dark Arms and fight too.

When the noise died down and we were absolutely sure it was safe to move again we slowly peaked our heads above the top of the trench.

"We should follow them," the half breed suggested with a calculating look on his face.

"Are you mad?! Is the lack of chaos also hindering your ability to think straight?"

He turned to me with a bit of dark expression but while it seemed like there was fire in his eyes, it didn't seem to be directed towards me. "I'm sick of being hunted down like a wild animal. The hunter may be experienced but he's not invincible and neither is his mut. At some point they would have stop and rest and it could be a perfect opportunity to stock up on provisions and maybe find a key for the shackles.."

He made a good point but would the belongings of the hunter be worth the trouble? Afterall he wouldn't dumb enough to rest in foreign territory without some kind of trap laying around for trespassers.

"I assume you wouldn't be suggesting this unless you have a plan to lure that mut faced beast away from the general vicinity. It could catch our scent or hear us coming long before we get close enough to try anything."

"I have a plan for that." he said staring into the far distance as if he already knew where the hunter was hiding. "However, I'm going to need your full cooperation or it won't work."

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**Not much happening in this chapter but it is important none the less.**


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